This wasn't the typical Christian historical novel. I infact didn't realize it was meant to be classified as Christian until near the end when the author chose to have one of the characters get a little preachy. I did feel that the morals and themes throughout the book did convey a Christian perspective, but it wasn't overbearing as some books can be. The above mentioned incident felt forced to me, it had contradicted Jessie's comments in the book about her father--he is the one who gave the mini-sermon and it didn't feel like he was talking to his daughter, it felt like the author was trying to talk to her readers, which the majority of people who would read this book are likely to be Christian already and it seems like it didn't need to be so forced.'

I loved the story, I was 3/4s through and trying to figure how it could possibly be resolved before the end of the book without being continued.

I think the author did an excellent job of creating believable, realistic characters. I do wish that Gemma's character would have been explored a little bit more, but since the story is told in the first person POV of a 13 year old girl it may not have been an easy task to integrate more of her into the story. (well it could have been shown through more interaction but as it is already a fairly long book it may not have been possible).
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I really enjoyed this book. It gave insight to prejudice and how it is so wrong, then and now. You will truely enjoy the characters they are true to themselves and others.

Good story. Interesting characters. Not beat you over the head preachy. ( )

Such a good book. I will most definitely read the other 2. One of those books you think about for a long time after you read it. ( )

Jessilyn Lassiter tells her tale of mishaps, struggles and discoveries during the summer of 1932. She's just turned thirteen and she finds trouble, or trouble finds her, just about every time she opens her mouth. Her best friend is Gemma, a slightly older African-American girl whose family lives on her daddy's farm.

All is as it should be in the south in the 30s, including segregation of the races, and everyone knows their place in the world. That is until a freak lightning strike from a thunderstorm kills Gemma's parents, leaving her orphaned and alone in the world. The Lassiters take Gemma into their home as a member of their family, and thus starts the insanity of bigotry and hate delivered by friends and neighbors.

Even now, nearly two generations later, I can't grasp why anyone would treat other human beings with such disdain, fear and hate. Is it because I was raised in Kansas, where the fight to be admitted as a free-state made bleeding headlines in national newspapers in the 1850s? Or because I grew up with civil rights already a fact, albeit not equally applied, but definitely a step further down the road to freedom and tolerance.

This is a good first novel for Jennifer Valent. I struggled a bit with the amount of dialog, and the southern colloquialisms, and I was breathless most of the time trying to keep up with a headstrong impulsive foolish thirteen year-old girl with more guts than sense. ( )