October 1, 2011
Not long before she dies, Maya's mother tells her 12-year-old daughter, You're a firecracker, my dear. Whether she's a firecracker or simply a cheeky one, as her grandmother asserts, Maya is a survivor, not only of her mother's death but also of her father's virtual abandonment of her. Sound like a traditional coming-of-age story? Well, it is, in part, but it also boasts some quirky elements. For instance, Maya's mother spends her final days, dying of cancer, in a teepee in the family's backyard, where she is lionized as a seer and mystic. The real seer, however, is Maya, who sees auras and can hear people's thoughts. Maya's gift and her grit will take her to unusual places in a search for self and something more. Unfortunately, her story never quite coheres and often requires some powerful suspension of disbelief. Nevertheless, it's an engaging tale, and Maya, that firecracker, is an always compelling character as she grows from anxious 12 to self-confident and, yes, mystical 20.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)