The Sweetheart of Prosper County
by Jill S. Alexander
Strictly for the younger set, say, through age 12. For the older reader, the story was lost in the lesson. A lot of lesson. It was like a good writer was being forced to fit a certain market in order to be published, so she made sure to have bad things happen to the bad people while the good people learned to live with their narrow, self-imposed morality. I think she's capable of better things, but this one didn't leave me smiling.
I liked Lewis and Maribelle and the Cajun guy even though they didn't get any character development. They were just tools for teaching. I might have liked the Mom, but she preferred to duck her head down and be a good little woman instead of making a stand that might have saved a kid's life. She had a chance--I held my breath--she ignored it. (I'm referring to Dean; she could have filed a lawsuit instead of muttering a "not my problem" epitaph and turning aside.)
And worst of all was the total lack of spine development in the heroine. She ended up moseying along her mousy way. The same old coping strategies that failed to work in the beginning suddenly and miraculously started to work--thanks to her friends. She never made an effort to make the friends, but they just happened to come along and save her. Like a certain 'invisible' friend who will eventually solve all your problems.
I kept expecting to like it and trying hard, but never did. Sorry.
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