The Wishing Pearl by: Nicole O'Dell

Sixteen year-old Olivia Mansfield dreams of a land far, far away...

A land far away from her stepfather's abuse and torment.

A land far away from her mother's blind eye.

A land far away from the haunting memories of her past.

No one can be perfect, but it does seem like Olivia's parents could both do some things better. When Olivia's dad was alive, everything was different. Her mom would never have needed a spa day. Or had the money for it.

But he's gone. Forever. And with change, people change. Olivia's mother included. There's no way to talk to her, no way to have a glimpse of the mother she once knew.

In a confused state, Olivia makes some poor choices and finds herself in the middle of her best friend's unexpected death, leaving her at a crossroads.

She can choose to get help, or she can let life work itself out. Will the demons from her past prevent her from having a happy future? Or will she go down the right path, towards eternal hope and healing?

Watch the trailer for The Wishing Pearl...



My thoughts:

The Wishing Pearl is seriously amazing! I could not put it down. Everything in it is so nicely done. The cover art is gorgeous. I sat there staring at it for probably fifteen minutes before I actually opened the book.

One thing I did not like, however, was the little Kira-being-pregnant-thing. The romance between Olivia and Justin is innocent and cute, but Kira's pregnancy kind of spoiled the book for me. I know a lot of people would probably laugh at me for that, but it does matter. It was kind of necessary to the book, but it still bothered me.


Objectionable Content:

Language: I don't remember any...
Romance/Sexual Content: Kira is pregnant before she comes to Diamond Estates. She tries to make everyone believe Justin is the father.
Justin tells Olivia he loves her.
Violence: Olivia is in a car crash.
Drugs/Alcohol Content: Lots of drinking. One girl sneaks in some marijuana. Another girl is trying to lose weight, so she eats speed, which I have read a lot on, and it's really not good.

I reviewed this book for

Team Novel Teen.

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about The Wishing Pearl by Nicole O'Dell by clicking on the links below , and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.

 My Life with a Mission • ADD Librarian • Audacious Reader • The Book Fae • Book Nook 4 You • Bookworm Reading • Gillian Adams • Jill Williamson • Katie McCurdy • The Librarian's Bookshelf • The Pen and Parchment • Rachelle Rea • Virtuous Girlhood

Want to buy the book??? Click HERE.

You can also check out Nicole O'Dell's website, HERE.

Gathering Blue by: Lois Lowry

Kira is an orphan with a big heart and a twisted leg. She lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. Where the unwanted are sent to the Field and never seen again. Where no questions are asked. Where the all-powerful Council of Guardians can create dreams... or smash them.

Vandara would like nothing better than to see Kira dead... especially so she can have the property that Kira lives off of. Her plans are to fence in animals and children on it... to keep them out of trouble.

The hate in Vandara's heart is so great that she brings it up with the Council of Guardians, resulting in half win, half loss. She gets her coveted property, but she does not, however, get to see Kira dead.

Vandara doesn't hesitate to remind Kira that if it weren't for her mother fighting the law, Kira would already be dead, a fact that she already knows all too well.

Now without parents or home, Kira is put up in a building with two other people, Thomas, the carver, and somebody else... a little girl with a talent for singing... that she isn't supposed to know about...

Kira's mother was a gifted weaver and passed on the talent into her daughter. But her daughter's talents go far beyond anything she was ever taught...

Kira's gift for weaving is the only thing keeping her alive...

No one can know her plans to find the truth about her world.

My thoughts:

Wow was this an interesting book!

Gathering Blue has some very excellent points. It doesn't really seem to ever get fully explained, though. The end makes you think there might be a sequel, but sadly, there is not. If you think about it, The Giver (which I reviewed HERE), could be a sequel, but not really.

Gathering Blue is not a supernatural book, but it is certainly not natural either. :) It's... odd.

Anyway, the characters are really well written. Their personalities can be almost confusing at times! :)

Objectional Content:

Language: None.
Romance/Sexual Content:  A little boy thinks Kira should marry someone.
Violence: There may have been some fighting.
Drugs/Alcohol: None.