I wrote a review and thoughts about my book but somehow they didn’t appear in this space. I will try again. Of course, the brilliant thoughts and ideas I wanted to share have left my mind and now it will just be an ordinary few sentences.

Out of Focus – Margaret Buffie

I was a big proponent of having this book on the list of Snow Willow nominees this year. It had many positives for this category. It is mature without, I believe, having any content that would be objectionable to elementary schools. The genre is realistic fiction and it has a strong female protagonist in 16 year old Bernice. She wants to be a normal teenager with a normal family. Instead she is the daughter of alcoholic parents, with too many burdens for the care of her siblings and her mother. Although she is the catalyst to help solve the family’s problems, she is not happy as they get back on their feet. She is angry and moody and quite typically teenage which adds to the realism of the book. She is not portrayed as a saint.