A Firefly Life


Young Adult - Coming of Age
432 Pages
Reviewed on 01/12/2016
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Bobbie Grob for Readers' Favorite

A Firefly Life by Linda Shew Wolf is a novel set in the late 1960s that follows a girl named Melanie as she navigates the waters on her journey from twelve to thirteen. This age is a difficult time for nearly every child, and Melanie is no exception. She lives in the tiny town of Alma Corners, a town where everyone knows each other and nothing ever happens. When a new boy her age, Jonathon, moves into town with his mother, his stepfather, and his younger sister, Tracey, Melanie's life gets a lot more interesting. Known as The Babysitting Savior, Melanie is called upon to be the regular babysitter for Tracey, an autistic seven-year-old, which allows her to get closer to Jonathon both in school and at home. As Melanie gets sucked into Jonathon's world, she discovers that things aren't always what they seem, and that some things are better left alone.

I picked up A Firefly Life by Linda Shew Wolf because the title intrigued me, and I loved the cover photo. I am a huge fan of coming of age novels, and I was further drawn in by the fact that one of the characters had special needs. I found this book to be well-written and very interesting. I stayed up too late reading it, and promptly picked it up again the next morning! Ms. Wolf has an excellent grasp of life as a teenager, and the harrowing ups and downs that come with beginning to discover oneself. She also handled the subject of autism beautifully. There was also a faith-based angle here, but it was not in-your-face or overly done. I was very pleased with this book, and sincerely hope there will be more books from this author in the future.