Heading into the weekend on a positive note . . .

The Edge of the Forest has fantastic dueling reviews of Carrie Jones' Girl, Hero. I'm not sure how they're dueling, since they're both very positive, but it's cool all the same.

From Melissa Fox, Book Nut

".... The real success of the book is the letter form it's written in. Because each letter has Lili pouring her heart out to John Wayne, telling him her deepest thoughts, fears, and secrets, the reader feels a connection to Lili, sympathizes with her in a way that otherwise they wouldn't be able to. In addition, starting each chapter with a classic quote from John Wayne, Jones captures the essence of the great movie star, and one girl's idolization of him. It seems a bit odd, given the young-hip-new culture of today's teenagers, that one girl would idolize a western movie star from the 1940s, but it works, and works well. "

And Tanita S. Davis, Finding Wonderland

".... Carrie Jones' third novel Girl, Hero, is both painfully realistic and, peopled as it is with an endearingly bizarre cast of characters, a touch surreal. John Wayne casts a long shadow in this novel (as he does on the very cool cover), but he's not nearly as memorable as Liliana herself, whose scary, sad and funny Freshman year is a testament to the power of acceptance, hope and perseverance, and touches the hero within all of us. ..."

And don't miss Carrie's interview with Dar Williams in the same issue.