Growing up, I was a fan of Caroline B. Cooney’s novels. My favorite — “The Face on the Milk Carton.” I out grew her books and moved on to more mature reads, but they still left their mark.
Open Road Young Readers recently released some of Caroline’s books in digital format. Among them, “The Fog” and “The Terrorist.” Both were originally published in the 1990s. I just finished reading both of them for the first time.
“THE FOG,” (ages 12 and up)
Christina Romney is starting junior high. For most, that doesn’t mean much, but for her, that means moving off the island she’s lived on her whole life. The kids from Maine’s Burning Fog Island live on the mainland during the school year, and this year they’ll be staying at the historic Schooner Inne, a former sea captain’s house (and now a bed and breakfast) recently bought by the school’s charismatic new principal and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Shevvington.
Christina has been assured that this new phase of her life will be full of new friends and exciting opportunities, but she isn’t sure. Christina joins Anya, a beautiful senior, 15-year-old Benji, the aspiring lobsterman, and his crush-worthy younger brother Michael on the mainland, and everything changes. The boys aren’t as friendly and Anya starts acting so strangely Christina wonders if she’s losing her mind.
As time passes, Christina becomes sure the Shevvingtons are behind the changes. But no one will believe it. The two are the model of respectability. Maybe it’s not just Anya that’s losing her mind. Maybe Christina is, too.
“The Fog” is a strange read. There are as many ebbs and flows in it as there are with the ocean tide. Caroline creates tension and a feeling of unease that surrounds the reader, pulling you further and further in. In this case, it was an uncomfortable feeling, and I found myself flying through the pages, just to get past it.
“The Fog” is the first of a three-part series featuring Christina. The other books being “The Snow” and “The Fire.” “The Fog,” however does stand well on it’s own with an ending that’s creepily satisfying, or unsatisfying, depending on how you look at it. It’s the perfect read to set the mood this Halloween season.
“THE TERRORIST,” (ages 12 and up)
Laura and Billy are American kids living in London with their parents. They go to a nice school with fellow expats and kids from countries all over the world. They live in a nice flat and are well liked.
Billy is always out to make a buck, and is doing well with his paper route and selling American products to his friends. Laura is a teenager. She’s boy crazy and happily drifting through her high school years.
Then Billy is handed a package in the London Underground, their lives change in an instant. The package explodes, making Billy a victim of a heinous terrorist attack. As Laura’s parents try to move forward, Laura sets out to find the culprit. Everyone is a suspect, even her friends. As Laura drifts further and further down the path of paranoia, she discovers the truth is more shocking than she could have imagined.
“The Terrorist” begins with an introduction to Billy — his quirks, his schemes, and his cheerful personality. When his life suddenly comes to an end, any brightness disappears. The book becomes dark and depressing as Laura’s paranoia rolls off each page. It’s hard to read. But then, that’s the point. Caroline does a fantastic job of bringing the emotion to the front. It’s well done, but because of the subject matter, I likely won’t read it again.
