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49th out of 301 books
—
1,970 voters
Faithful (Faithful #1)
by
Janet Fox (Goodreads Author)
Sixteen-year-old Maggie Bennet's life is in tatters. Her mother has disappeared, and is presumed dead. The next thing she knows, her father has dragged Maggie away from their elegant Newport home, off on some mad excursion to Yellowstone in Montana. Torn from the only life she's ever known, away from her friends, from society, and verging on no prospects, Maggie is furious...more
Paperback, 325 pages
Published
May 13th 2010
by Speak
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Jul 16, 2010
Books and Literature for Teens
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teens (or adults) who love historical fiction or even teens who don't!
Margaret "Maggie" Bennet has an elegant life amongst the elite families in Newport, Rhode Island. But when Maggie's father tricks her into going on an excursion to the wilds of Yellowstone Park to look for her mother, Maggie realizes that they are in Montana for an entirely different reason. A reason, that Maggie is desperate to find out. Alone and isolated in a dangerous wilderness, Maggie must discover what she wants most: freedom or a life she's always known. Fox's debut novel, Faithful, is a...more
One of these days, I will stop listening to the blurbs in catalogs, because they always let me down. I ordered this one specifically because the publisher's blurb compared it to Eva Ibbotson, who I completely and wholeheartedly adore. And not a lot of authors or books get compared to her (at least by the publisher, all of whom are desperately trying to convince you that this book is the next Twilight, and you should buy it RIGHT NOW), so I couldn't resist.
It was a good book. But that's it: good....more
It was a good book. But that's it: good....more
It was the cover that attracted me to this book in the first place. It is so pretty. I really like how it sums up the book: Maggie with the beauty of Yellowstone. So yeah, I really enjoyed Faithful. I didn’t know that it was a historical fiction so imagine my surprise when I found out. I love historical fictions.
Anyway, let’s start with the setting: Yellowstone, Montana. Wow. It was described wonderfully. I could totally imagine the geysers and the river, everything! Yellowstone is now on my tr...more
Anyway, let’s start with the setting: Yellowstone, Montana. Wow. It was described wonderfully. I could totally imagine the geysers and the river, everything! Yellowstone is now on my tr...more
Billed as a romance, there's a lot more going on in FAITHFUL. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Bennet's largest preoccupation is not Tom Rowland, nor her fiance George Greybull. Instead, she is trying to decide the course of her life after her mother's death and her move to Yellowstone. While Yellowstone still has class divisions, it is much less stratified than Newport, where Maggie was raised. She's beginning to realize that she may have more options than she thought.
Historical fiction is not my favori...more
Historical fiction is not my favori...more
This book deserves a solid 3.5 rating. I enjoyed it so much more than the companion novel Forgiven. As I read this book, it became clear why this book was better. In this novel, the author succeeded in bringing her characters to life. (I think I know some of them!) I believed their experiences and cared about what happened to them.
Why didn’t the companion novel give me the same feelings of satisfaction? In Forgiven I feel that the author had too much going on to give depth to her characters and...more
Why didn’t the companion novel give me the same feelings of satisfaction? In Forgiven I feel that the author had too much going on to give depth to her characters and...more
I read this book because I was drawn to the cover I mean seriously it's gorgeous! And I love how the author describes yellowstone it makes me wan to go there maybe I'll beg my parents to take me there this summer anyways but I also love this book because it was a self-discovery journey and it had a bit of mystery in it which the book mostly centered around. When the book said it was a romance book it isn't the entire truth there was some romance not a lot. And maggie the main character she comes...more
You can find this kind of book many places. Where a girl's life is torn apart, she absolutely hates it as she moves away from her home. She is taken to a completely different place, in this case from Newport to Yellowstone. Then everything turns out fantastically, she meets the boy of her dreams, and never thinks of going back. So you know what is going to happen in the end. But I feel like this book really shows how Maggie changes from just any ordinary Newport girl who will spend the rest of h...more
I, like everyone else apparently, didn't realize this was a Historical novel. Because that summary in the back is a little misleading in not telling you the book is set in the early 1900s. I really enjoy Historical novels, and especially turn-of-the-century novels set in some place beautiful like Yellowstone National Park. I found all this intriguing and lovely, having never been to Yellowstone myself. I also found Maggie's dilemma entirely understandable. To her, the rest of her life hinges on...more
When we first meet sixteen-year old Maggie Bennett in this engrossing historical romance, she seems like your typical upper-class young lady in 1904 Newport, Rhode Island, concerned only with her debutante ball, beautiful gowns, gossiping, and handsome young men. But her mother's mental illness and subsequent disappearance have made Newport society question Maggie's propriety as well. Having a "really fine debut, with everything done exactly right," will make them accept her, Maggie believes.
But...more
But...more
What a good story. Historical fiction is so much fun. Especially when it takes place somewhere that I've been. I was just in Yellowstone last summer and it made me want to A) go back and experience all the stuff Maggie did that I didn't get a chance to and B) look at all the pictures of I took in the park.
Sixteen-year-old Maggie was born and raised in the society of Newport, Rhode Island. Weeks before she is set to have her debut ball, Maggie's father takes her on a journey to Yellowstone Natio...more
Sixteen-year-old Maggie was born and raised in the society of Newport, Rhode Island. Weeks before she is set to have her debut ball, Maggie's father takes her on a journey to Yellowstone Natio...more
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Out in the wildlife of the famous Yellowstone National Park in 1904, Maggie finds herself away from the comfort of her wealthy Newport life with all the parties, social appearances and friends. She’s placed on the adventure of her life with her father to find the secrets of her mother’s disappearance and whether she is still alive. Maggie finds way more information out in the wonders of Yellowstone like the history of her parents relationship, what was going on with her mother before she began g...more
I was first drawn to this book because of the cover, which is absolutely gorgeous. In fact, I think I first read about it on Melissa Walker's blog, in one of her cover stories. 'Faithful' is an interesting story which features a cast of characters, all of whom are quite different from one another. Despite figuring out the "mystery" part of the book early on, I was still intrigued to discover the circumstances under which the events happened. I really adored the romance between Maggie and Tom, ev...more
When I first read the blurb for Faithful, I had no idea it was set in the beginning of the 20th century. Nor did the cover really illuminate this fact, as the dress's design was just ambiguous enough to be considered 'popular' now. I like it better for the fact its set in 1904 and not in the last two decades. For what I think Fox was trying to convey in the book, it needed to be set during a time when parts of the country were still more rugged pioneer then refined city-slick.
Maggie was, for al...more
Maggie was, for al...more
Margaret Bennet is getting ready for her debut season when her father informs her that they will be going to Yellowstone. She's looking for a mother she doesn't believe is dead, so she's willing to go, but the further she follows her father, the more she realises things aren't as they seem. Sooner rather than later, she learns the truth of their trip to Yellowstone, and that things were never what they had seemed before.
This is a sweet romance. No love triangles :) just Maggie and Tom. There is...more
This is a sweet romance. No love triangles :) just Maggie and Tom. There is...more
Faithful is a eloquent, thoughtfully written historical novel set in Yellowstone National Park in it's developing years, when it was just beginning to be bulit up into a tourist-centered area. Janet Fox manages to capture Yellowstone's beauty and natural ruggedness while weaving in a graceful story of a girl stuck in the web of high society and it's many prejudices. Maggie, in the beginning is a frustratingly worldly young woman whose only thoughts are about finding the right sort of man to marr...more
Maggie lost her mother.
To death. Or insanity. Or the waves.
Maggie isn’t sure.
And then her father suggests Yellowstone.
Which might seem illogical, except for that cryptic conversation her mother refused to have about traveling west. And for the note she left only Maggie. And for the messages from Pinkerton’s Detective Agency.
So when Papa suggests the trip out west, Maggie goes.
Even though it means risking her debut in society, her chance at seeing Edward, and possibly her future.
She goes to find...more
To death. Or insanity. Or the waves.
Maggie isn’t sure.
And then her father suggests Yellowstone.
Which might seem illogical, except for that cryptic conversation her mother refused to have about traveling west. And for the note she left only Maggie. And for the messages from Pinkerton’s Detective Agency.
So when Papa suggests the trip out west, Maggie goes.
Even though it means risking her debut in society, her chance at seeing Edward, and possibly her future.
She goes to find...more
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Just was not my cup of tea. I honestly couldn't even bring myself to finish reading the book. I could not stand the main character. She was a witch to her mother, who was having a mental break down, and she has the nerve to yell and scream at her mother and accuse her of trying to ruin her social life because she had a melt down at a party. Her mother disappears and when presented with what she thinks is an opportunity to go find her mom she isn't sure she wants to go because she doesn't want it...more
I suppose one of the best things I like about books is to see good role models in strong, independent women who know what they want but are not afraid to admit that they don't when they don't. That really makes a book about women interesting to read. But reading Faithful was like standing on the very edge of Cliff Walk during the storm that washed Maggie's mother to the depths of the sea. Simply witnessing the transformation from a superficial, wavering girl into a freedom-loving, courageous wom...more
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This book was great! I cant say this is my favorite book, because it's not. This is a very good book though! At the beginning this book was hard to get into. Then I really got into it. This book was written in 1904 and I usually don't read books from that time period.
In this book they talked about being in the right class and marrying into an upper class to get somewhere in life. In this time women weren't really allowed to work outside of the house, and when Maggie figured out tat she wants to...more
In this book they talked about being in the right class and marrying into an upper class to get somewhere in life. In this time women weren't really allowed to work outside of the house, and when Maggie figured out tat she wants to...more
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I was really disappointed in this. I thought I was getting a historical novel that would explore the magic and beauty of West Yellowstone, but except for when the grizzly bears made their appearances, I didn't enjoy it much.
Here's why: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...
Here's why: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...
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Characters: 4/5 – captivating main character with interesting secondary characters that added depth and interest to the story. Very well rounded.
Plot: 5/5 - loved the setting and how central it was to the novel and main character’s story. Good use of suspense and action. There was a lot going on in this novel.
Writing: 3.5/5 – fluid and rich with a good mixture of reflective moments and action. Not overly written and easy to get lost in the story.
Originality: 4/5 – very interesting time period a...more
Plot: 5/5 - loved the setting and how central it was to the novel and main character’s story. Good use of suspense and action. There was a lot going on in this novel.
Writing: 3.5/5 – fluid and rich with a good mixture of reflective moments and action. Not overly written and easy to get lost in the story.
Originality: 4/5 – very interesting time period a...more
I began reading Janet Fox's Faithful because I was intrigued by the setting - Yellowstone National Park, early on in the 20th century. It was hard at first to really get started reading... I felt like the main character, Maggie, narrated her story in circles.
Maggie is plucked up from her posh Newport life and transplanted to Yellowstone under false pretenses from her father, and when she discovers that he has no intention of going back to their former life in the east she has to adapt quickly....more
Maggie is plucked up from her posh Newport life and transplanted to Yellowstone under false pretenses from her father, and when she discovers that he has no intention of going back to their former life in the east she has to adapt quickly....more
Reviewed @ Girls Without a Bookshelf.
In many ways, Faithful can be seen as a modern re-telling of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Both books are brought to life by heroines fighting - in their own way - against the manacles of the society of their time. Both books relay perfectly the struggle of these heroines and the extent of society's hold on them. It depicts the long road of their awakening. Both can be feminist and marxist texts, although debatable, of course. Faithful, however, is crafted mor...more
In many ways, Faithful can be seen as a modern re-telling of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Both books are brought to life by heroines fighting - in their own way - against the manacles of the society of their time. Both books relay perfectly the struggle of these heroines and the extent of society's hold on them. It depicts the long road of their awakening. Both can be feminist and marxist texts, although debatable, of course. Faithful, however, is crafted mor...more
Sep 28, 2011
KatieSuzanne
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to KatieSuzanne by:
Natalie Decker
Shelves:
book-club
I wonder if the last few chapters would have been so fantastic if the first twenty hadn't been so tedious since they mostly consist of Maggie repeating the same things over and over...whine whine whine, where's my mama, I want go home, I'm spoiled but don't call me spoiled, I'm confused, no one tells me anything. Each chapter reminded me of the first few chapters of a babysitters club book where the whole beginning is rehashed. The plot was excellent, but developed so slow that I began to think...more
This ARC is from Midwinter 2010 and I'm just getting around to reading it--I loved the cover and just couldn't donate it to my readers at school without me reading it first! I'm amazed to see a publisher like Speak taking on historical fiction--I would have loved a book like this when I was in junior high. Maggie is a spoiled sixteen-year-old in Newport when the book opens. She's preparing for her debut to society when her mother cuts herself at a party. Mommy disappears (and probably dies in th...more
I was excited for this book. Then I started to read it. I thought that it was ok. I just don't think that it was for me. It is a great book. Please don't think that I am slamming it. I just didn't think that it was the right book for me.
I gave it three stars because it was a well written book. I was going to give it two, but then thought better of it. Just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean that one of you out there wouldn't like it either.
Fox wrote about a young girl losing someone she lo...more
I gave it three stars because it was a well written book. I was going to give it two, but then thought better of it. Just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean that one of you out there wouldn't like it either.
Fox wrote about a young girl losing someone she lo...more
So I enjoyed this a lot more than I like a lot of female-protag historical fiction and here's why: I actually felt like Maggie was true to the time period.
I liked that despite her mindset (when the novel began) of needing to find a man to make her life fulfilling, and being selfish and unsympathetic to her mother's problems, it rang to me as very in character of a girl in her position. I didn't agree with her point of view of life but I understood why she was that way, and, like Tom, pitied her...more
I liked that despite her mindset (when the novel began) of needing to find a man to make her life fulfilling, and being selfish and unsympathetic to her mother's problems, it rang to me as very in character of a girl in her position. I didn't agree with her point of view of life but I understood why she was that way, and, like Tom, pitied her...more
I live in Idaho and even though Yellowstone is not far, I've only actually been to the park once. But, that once was enough to immediately draw me to this title. I was also able to understand Maggie's draw towards the great outdoors and to the park itself. I can't imagine what the Yellowstone must have been like in the early 1900's, especially when I know how wild parts of it still are. I like Maggie. She was struggling to maintain her proper decorum while wrestling with who she could see herse...more
When I bought this book at a conference, I took it home and tucked it into my bookshelf. The cover didn't grab me and the first pages didn't make me sit up and take notice. It sat there until I had surgery and was searching for something sedentary to do. Boy, was I surprised by this novel and by the gorgeous writing of its author. Captivating, can't-put-down-story of a girl at the turn-of-the-century who leaves her priviledged life behind to see if her mother is still alive. This is one I snuck...more
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Author of fiction and non-fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. Published books:
"Get Organized Without Losing It" (middle grade, Free Spirit Publishing, 2006)
"Faithful" (young adult, Penguin/Speak, 2010)
"Forgiven" (young adult, Speak, 2011)
"Sirens" - young adult fiction from Speak - will be out November 2012.
More about Janet Fox...
"Get Organized Without Losing It" (middle grade, Free Spirit Publishing, 2006)
"Faithful" (young adult, Penguin/Speak, 2010)
"Forgiven" (young adult, Speak, 2011)
"Sirens" - young adult fiction from Speak - will be out November 2012.
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“I know a place on this Earth that contains wonders enough to stop the breath. A place where the very rocks whisper and whine, where the rivers boil and the snow-studded peaks thrust into a bowl of blue; where great shaggy beasts press the earth with cloven hooves or threaten with claw and fang; where new life and lurking death coexist in the shallows of varicolored pools.”
—
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Aug 09, 2010 06:04pm