LitPick Review
Katie McCabe was a problem child; she knew it and so did everybody else. She never felt like she fit in with the “family legacy”. Over last summer, things had gone from bad to worse. She and her best friend Tommy had gotten into mischief like never before. Right before the start of the next school year, her whole life got turned upside down. Her dad was sending her away! Far, far away to live on her uncle’s farm with him and her cousins. As if that weren’t bad enough, the reasoning was her dad was sick! He needed tests done, and he couldn’t take care of her. Katie wanted more than anything to stay with her dad. His decision made her sad and angry at everything and everyone; she decided that when she got to her uncle’s, she would give them a piece of her mind.
When she got to her uncle's home, she did everything in her power to get them to send her back. She lashed out, she didn’t listen, and she misbehaved. No matter what she did, she only got into more trouble. Her dad’s situation wasn’t getting better. The only thing that lit up her sad and angry world was her new found friends, but with friends came enemies. Denton, the son of the most powerful man in town, had quickly become her arch enemy!
Just when things seemed to be settling down, something horrible happened, something that would change everything permanently. Her father’s death was devastating. Her behavior worsened until eventually she did something really bad and was nearly arrested! She was severely punished at the farm, but that was nothing compared to what would happen next. One day after school, she found herself gagged, blindfolded, and thrown over horseback. She was ridden out into the desert, where she was left to battle the elements and find her way back. As she travels, she gets stuck in a storm and injured. Will she be able to make it home? Will it ever really be her home?
Opinion:
Rain Falling on Embers describes the journey of thirteen-year-old Katie McCabe as she undertakes massive loss and change in her life. It’s a story of growing up as much as anything else. We can see this even at the beginning when Katie describes her behavioral change over the last summer; how she had become more of a rebel than ever. Though her problems seem big then, she has no idea what is to come.
Katie’s character and actions change very rapidly throughout the book as she experiences more transitions and loses control in her life. One example would be when she constantly rebels against her uncle and older cousin after the death of her father. Katie’s character development is a representation of the changes people go through when experiencing a loss. Her mindset at the beginning of the book versus the end shows her path of acceptance and embrace of her new life.
Though there were many redeeming factors and positive aspects, Katie's character was not my cup of tea. I found myself clashing with her stubborn and quarrelsome way of thinking, particularly her constant defiance even before the sudden change in her life. Yet, while I found it difficult to sympathize with the character, her journey is truly moving. Katie’s heart strives to forgive her father for leaving her so soon and to accept her new home with her uncle. She not only endures an emotional trek but is at one point stranded in the desert, where she finds insight to her problems hidden in her own mind. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up, due to mild mature content.
