There are some basic tropes in the comic book world of super-heroes. One - problems are general solved with violence. Two - characters wear spandex (or similar) outfits. Three - there's a clear line between who the "white hat" and "black hat" are. Victoria Newcomb's delightful and touching young adult novel "Gathering Grace" defies those conventions, and in doing so brings a level of pathos and humanity that others working in the super-hero (or Cape and Cowl) gen More...

This book proved to be irresistable, and I found myself tearing through it in just a couple of days. The principal characters are all engaging, their problems easy to relate to, their hurdles heartbreaking, their triumphs heartwarming. I felt like they could leap from the page and would love to spend some time in their company, especially if it involves sitting around in pajamas and eating dragon noodle soup.

The novel steps away from the superhero genre a bit, removing the assumptio More...

Of course I liked it -- I wrote it! :-)

I learned a lot from this book, most especially how my characters could keep surprising me. I truly had no idea about Kiseki when he first appeared... but I don't want to give anything away!