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Book Review By Jennifer Selk
The Moons of Madeleine by Joan Clark

Madeleine Barrow travels to Calgary to visit her cousin and former best friend Selena. At first, Madeleine looks forward to her trip, but once she arrives everything begins to go wrong. Selena isn't the girl Mad remembered - she seems much older than Madeleine, and is disdainful of her small town cousin. Madeleine becomes homesick and begins to make secret plans to return home.

Her trip takes a magical turn when Madeleine dons a mysterious carved moon mask and is transported to the Moon World – a world filled with a secret society of Greek priestesses who are in trouble. Some of the moon priestesses have begun to neglect their duties and question their faith. They no longer believe in the existence of First Woman, their spiritual leader. The priestesses who are still faithful want Madeleine to help restore the faith of the doubters by travelling to the Sacred Cave to find out if First Woman is indeed still alive.

As Madeleine works to help the moon priestesses find the Sacred Stones that will reveal the opening to the Sacred Cave, she also struggles to improve her relationship with her cousin, and come to terms with the impending death of her aging grandmother, and the advent of her own womanhood.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - part earth & part fantasy world
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - an adult (general)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)
Family relations Yes
Descript. of chases or violence - 0 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 70 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - a kid

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Has magical powers? Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor

Setting
Terrain
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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