Synopsis: HEART STONES is a fast-paced middle grade magical realism mystery novel aimed at ages 8-12. It follows Gale Hope and her friend Celia as they piece together the clues of the Heart Stones. It’s a story of love, community and friendship and the power of believing. Born in a Blizzard ten years earlier, Gale was given the name “Gale Hope,” to symbolize the hope that the town needed at the time. In the recent devastating storm, heart shaped stones begin to wash up on the shore of her coastal town, which begins a mystery. Gale once again helps to heal a broken community and this time changes it for good.
Release Date: 5th May 2022
Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Family, Magic
Pages: 128
Thank you so much to McSea Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Review: This was such a sweet story filled with hope, belief and a love so strong. I loved that the heart stones were so magical and made such an impossible thing happen.
Gale was an amazing protagonist and her love, faith and curiosity with these heart stones was great. She never stoped searching for the answers she knew deep in her heart. Because of these stones and she found the answer with help of everyone around her.
I didn’t predict what happened would jhapoen at all and so it was such a sweet surprise, what a magical gift. I really loved the way she solved her mystery going round town and the stones guiding her hand finding out more to live e together as much as she could.
I also really liked that in the end even though Emma her sister, who didn’t get on at all, found a connection and a reason to get on and without each other’s help nothing would have happened and they wouldn’t even have had figured out anything.
It’s such a beautiful story with so much love and heart at the core of it all. I really enjoyed the heart stones, the beautiful island and the mystery. It was so creatively written and really fun to read and try to solve and nothing at all like I expected it to be.
About Author: Maryann Cocca-Leffler is the author and illustrator of over sixty-five books for children. She fondly remembers her childhood summers at her family’s summer home, affectionally known as the “Hull House”. New generations still gather there for carefree summer days filled with love, food, games and yes, clam digging. Maryann lives in Portland, Maine.
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