Summary: Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Have you ever read a book and then forgotten everything you read? Do you ever wish you could just read a quick summary to refresh your memory instead of having to reread the entire book? I have, especially when a book is part of a series and I just want to get the highlights of the previous books so I know what's going on when I read the latest installment. I enjoy rereading, but sometimes I just feel so guilty spending time on a book I've already read when all the books on my TBR pile glare at me for neglecting them. These posts are an attempt to help forgetful readers like myself.

These posts are also where those of us who have read the book can hold a discussion about any events in the book. These discussions will contain spoilers. 

The following post is a summary of the book. If you have not read the book, then go to my Leaving Paradise review instead. 

This post does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, then don't read the rest of this post! 

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
 Release Date: April 1, 2007
Publisher: Flux
Pages:303
Received: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

So you want to find out what happens in Leaving Paradise? Click here if you want to read my spoiler free review, or click the following link for the full summary:

Click me to read spoilers

Told in alternating first person narration, Leaving Paradise opens with Caleb as he is waiting to see if he will be allowed early release from juvenile detention. He is released. Caleb was placed there as punishment for driving drunk, hitting a girl with his car, and then fleeing the scene of the accident. He has served a year. His narration here shows little remorse for his action and a desire to put it in the past and move on with his life. When he returns, his family is stiff and he observes that they are more messed up than he is. His father is passive and weak, his mother is throwing herself into a “perfect family” role by throwing a party with her society friends, and his sister has gone Goth. He also remarks that Maggie, the girl he hit, is his next door neighbor.

Maggie is the second narrator and the girl Caleb injured. She is attending physical therapy for her injured leg but it is painful and slow going. She hopes to attend a study abroad program in Spain so she will not have to face Caleb when he is released. She is also running from her life, which has deteriorated after the accident. Her best friend was Caleb’s sister and the two have not spoken since the accident. Maggie’s mother (divorced, works in a diner) attempts to set up a “play date” for Maggie with her former friends when they come into the diner. Maggie is mortified and the girls awkwardly agree to attend a party together. Maggie is also informed that Caleb will be returning earlier than expected.

Caleb leaves his mother’s party and goes for a walk. He encounters Maggie and attempts to help her up when she stumbles because of her leg. She recoils and leaves. Maggie is deeply upset by the encounter. Many people in town are cold toward Caleb and make his adjustment difficult. His friends welcome him back though and his old coach encourages him to rejoin the wrestling team. He is unsure where he stands with his girlfriend Kendra after a year apart.

Maggie receives word from the exchange program that she is still welcome to attend, but her scholarship has been revoked. The scholarship was for tennis athletics, and since her leg is injured she no longer plays. The cost of schooling is too much money for Maggie’s mother to afford. Depressed, Maggie eats pie at the diner where she meets her mother’s boss’s mother, Mrs. Reynolds. She has a no nonsense attitude about Maggie’s limp and offers her a job as a companion in exchange for the needed tuition money. Maggie accepts.

Maggie remembers that she used to have a huge crush on Caleb all the way up until the accident. It is strange for her to see him now with all of her mixed emotions for him. Mrs. Reynolds has Maggie plant tulip bulbs in her backyard. The activity is difficult for Maggie who is afraid of spiders and has difficulty bending with her leg. Mrs. Reynolds accepts no excuses and pushes Maggie to face the things that make her uncomfortable. Maggie reluctantly meets the challenges.

Caleb’s family attends a fair, but he decides to stay at home. Kendra, his ex girlfriend shows up at his house and they hook up. He notes to himself that she has changed her hair and her lip gloss flavor and he does not like the changes. She asks him to keep their relationship a secret because her father is running for reelection and Caleb is an ex-con. He agrees, though he is unhappy and shamed.

Maggie does attend the fair, where her mother dances with her boss and Maggie realizes they like each other. Caleb decides to go to the fair where he meets his family. Awkwardness ensues between himself, his family, and his family’s friends. He is excused and meets up with his friends. One friend, Drew, makes crass comments about Maggie that anger Caleb. Maggie overhears the comments. Caleb threatens Drew, but Maggie does not see this.

Kendra and Caleb hook up in Kendra’s room while her parents are out. She expresses jealousy over Caleb talking with other girls. Her parents come home and she makes Caleb leave through her window. He is frustrated and shamed with this deception.

Maggie helps Mrs. Reynolds clean her attic out. Caleb arrives to help Mrs. Reynolds build her gazebo as part of his mandated community service. Maggie is upset and explains their connection to Mrs. Reynolds. Mrs. Reynolds tells Maggie that she should face her fear, but she will tell Caleb to leave if Maggie insists. She does insist, but eventually relents under the condition that Caleb ignores her.

Maggie and Caleb have an angry and avoidant conversation and end up at the bus stop together. Vic, an old wrestling rival and a bad seed begins harassing Caleb. Vic and his friends surround Caleb and begin making fun of Maggie. Caleb protects Maggie and gets beat up in the process. Maggie calls the police to help protect Caleb. The police arrive and Maggie defends Caleb. Vic and his friends leave. Maggie and Caleb board the bus and Maggie sits next to Caleb.

Caleb and Maggie accidentally lock themselves in Mrs. Reynolds’ attic and must wait until she wakes up to be let out again. They talk about what it means to be free and how they have each been in their own type of prison and are both looking for escape.

Caleb goes out with his friends. They bring beer and one of their mothers catches them. She blames Caleb for his bad influence, even though he did not bring the beer and was not going to drink any. He leaves. Caleb’s best friend Brian tells Caleb he is dating Kendra and the two began hooking up when Caleb was still dating Kendra before the accident. Caleb remembers that the night of the accident, Maggie warned him that Kendra was cheating on him but he didn’t believe her. Caleb is angry with Brian, but he does not tell him Kendra has been hooking up with Caleb since he was released.

Maggie tells her mother she should date her boss. Her mother is excited and decides to invite him over for dinner. Maggie remembers her father and how she began playing tennis to get her father’s attention and approval. She is scared she will never get this now that she is injured and can no longer play. She calls her father but he is distant and brushes her off.

Kendra comes over to hook up with Caleb again. He turns her away, but she hints that she knows something he would not want her to share. He hooks up with her. Maggie calls Caleb and asks to meet with him. They meet and talk and kiss. Caleb asks to see Maggie’s scars and she becomes upset. She refuses. Maggie and Caleb both think on how they are falling in love. They spend more time together.

Caleb meets his friends for Sunday football, but Kendra and her friends crash. She flaunts her relationship with Brian in front of Caleb, but then tries to hook up with Caleb in the bathroom. She hints again at what she knows. Drew walks in on them, but says he won’t tell Brian.

Caleb and Maggie hang out together and Caleb pushes her to play tennis. She is angry, but also secretly happy to play again. They engage in a long make out session. Caleb confronts his sister Leah about her Goth behavior and being so withdrawn. She blows up on him and tells him she feels so guilty for hitting Maggie. The reader learns that Caleb never hit Maggie, Leah did. She tried to avoid hitting a squirrel and accidentally hit Maggie instead. Panicked, she returned to the party and told her brother who took the blame. Caleb wants Leah to come clean, but she says she can’t.

Mrs. Reynolds takes Maggie dress shopping. Maggie must drive and face another one of her fears. They buy dresses and stop to pick up a pie from the diner. When they arrive back at Mrs. Reynolds’ house, Caleb is waiting there with the finished gazebo and a romantic dinner. The three eat dinner together. Mrs. Reynolds says she is going to bed and expresses her enjoyment over the night. Caleb and Maggie share time together. Caleb asks Maggie to show him her scars again, and again she refuses. Caleb says that they cannot be together if she can’t trust him with this and they break up. Maggie immediately regrets this.

Maggie goes to see Mrs. Reynolds the next day to talk about Caleb, but she is told Mrs. Reynolds died in her sleep the night before. She is devastated and goes to school to tell Caleb. She sees Caleb and Kendra. Kendra jealously confronted Caleb about his feelings for Maggie, threatening him with the secret she knows (which we now know is presumably the fact that Leah was driving). Caleb, to protect his sister, says he sees nothing in Maggie. Maggie hears this and runs away in tears.

There is a school assembly and as the students are leaving, Maggie stumbles and her leg is crushed in the press of students. The crowd of students begins making fun of her, and Caleb comes to her rescue. Drew questions why he would help “the bitch who put him in jail” and Caleb punches Drew. Caleb is sent to the principal’s office and Maggie is sent to the nurse.

Maggie overhears Kendra making fun of her and attacking her cousin. Emboldened by Mrs. Reynolds, Maggie stands up to Kendra. The girls get into a verbal fight and are sent to the principal’s office. Maggie decides to let go of all of her fears and anger about Caleb, the accident, and Caleb and Kendra. Her experiences have made her stronger and she is ready to let go and move on.

Caleb continues to take the blame for his sister and gets in trouble with his probation officer. He is also informed that Maggie filed a complaint for sexual harassment over their relationship. Caleb believes Maggie was using him all along so she could file the complaint. He is deeply upset. He finds out his mother has been taking pills and is very messed up. She recoils from him when he attempts to comfort her. He confronts his family on their weaknesses and tells them he is leaving. He goes to see Mrs. Reynolds and finds out she has died.

Caleb and Maggie meet. He is angry with her and kisses her angrily to scare her and “give her what she wants.” She is confused. When Maggie goes home there are officers there to follow up on her report. She knows nothing of this report and realizes Kendra filed a false report of sexual harassment against Caleb, pretending to be Maggie. Maggie now understands Caleb’s anger. She leaves to find Caleb.

Maggie finds Caleb preparing to leave. He is going to Chicago to start over. Maggie does not want him to leave and she shows him her scars. She does not tell him she remembers it was Leah who was driving the car, hoping he will tell her. He does not, and she understands he feels he must protect his sister but she is still saddened that he does not tell her. They part, knowing they love each other but need to move on.

When Maggie arrives home, Leah is waiting for her. Leah tells Maggie it was her driving and Maggie says she knows. Maggie tells Leah she forgives her.

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Summary: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Have you ever read a book and then forgotten everything you read? Do you ever wish you could just read a quick summary to refresh your memory instead of having to reread the entire book? I have, especially when a book is part of a series and I just want to get the highlights of the previous books so I know what's going on when I read the latest installment. I enjoy rereading, but sometimes I just feel so guilty spending time on a book I've already read when all the books on my TBR pile glare at me for neglecting them. These posts are an attempt to help forgetful readers like myself.

These posts are also where those of us who have read the book can hold a discussion about any events in the book. These discussions will contain spoilers. 

The following post is a summary of the book. If you have not read the book, then go to my Dead Beautiful review instead. 

This post does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, then don't read the rest of this post! 

Dead Beautiful, by Yvonne Woon
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 455
Received: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 
Author's Page
Amazon Page 
Goodreads Page

So you want to find out what happens in Dead Beautiful? Click here if you want to read my spoiler free review, or click the following link for the full summary:

Click me to read spoilers

Renee is out with her friend when she feels pulled to the forest. She finds her parents dead with gauze in their mouths and coins scattered around their bodies. Cause of death is ruled heart attacks, but Renee and her grandfather believe they have been murdered. Renee’s grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy where he believes she will be safe. She arrives and begins taking a number of unconventional courses like horticulture and Latin. She is apparently gifted at horticulture. Gottfried also has a stern headmistress and an enigmatic Board of Monitors whose purpose is unknown to Renee.

She becomes friends with her roommate Eleanor, a shy boy named Nathaniel, and Dante Berlin. Renee learns that Dante used to be friends with a number of strange students until tragedy struck. A boy, Ben, was killed and Dante found him. Renee learns that Ben’s cause of death was deemed a heart attack, just like Renee’s mother. Ben’s girlfriend was said to have transferred and Dante became a loner shunning all friendships. He is drawn to Renee and the two begin dating.

In horticulture class, Renee discovers a dead baby deer. It is mentioned that Renee often finds dead things. Renee is drawn to a dead mouse in the library and in the process overhears a conversation between Dante’s former friends (among them Gideon). They are speaking in Latin, so she does not understand what they are saying, but she recognizes the mention of the Board of Monitors, Eleanor’s name, and Eleanor’s brother’s name (he is on the Board).

Dante finds Renee and the two leave together. Renee notices that Dante is extremely cold, but he does not seem to notice. Dante begins tutoring Renee in Latin. The two get to know one another better. Dante tells Renee his family died in a plane crash. Dante accidentally cuts himself during one of their tutoring sessions but the wound heals almost immediately. Dante pretends nothing happened, but Renee notices and begins to suspect.

Renee is invited to attend a séance with Eleanor and a few other girls. Each girl calls on a different dead person. Eleanor calls on Ben and Cassandra (Ben’s old girlfriend, the one who supposedly transferred). Eleanor tells Renee that Cassandra claims she has been killed. Renee called on her father, but she began thinking about Dante midway through. She is drawn to a tree outside, believing her father is telling her to go there. She leaves and sees Dante and Gideon at the tree. Dante protects Renee from his friends and the two leave. They almost kiss in a classroom, but Dante resists kissing her on the mouth.

Renee and her friend discuss the events of the séance and a student named Minnie Roberts is mentioned. Last year Minnie claimed the headmistress killed Cassandra by burying her alive. Minnie has been branded insane as a result, but Renee wonders if she is telling the truth.

Renee is sent to the headmistress’s office after a teacher reported seeing her and Dante outside after hours. The headmistress is not angry with Renee and is actually nice to her, though she makes a few confusing comments about Renee’s aptitude in horticulture. Renee and her friends decide to find a way to get student files from the headmistress’s office. They are hoping to find information about Ben and Cassandra. When they look, they discover the files are missing.

Renee finds a book talking about Gottfried’s history and explaining The Gottfried Curse. Gottfried used to be a hospital for children but was later turned into a boarding school. Students of the school have died frequently, usually from “natural disasters” or “outbreaks of disease,” but there is also a high incidence of unexplained heart attacks. Renee suspects these deaths are not what they seem. She also discovers her grandfather used to be headmaster of Gottfried.

Dante and Renee spend an innocent night together. Dante does not sleep. Renee finds out that Ben died with his tie stuffed in his mouth, similar to the gauze stuffed in her parents’ mouths. Dante tells Renee she makes him feel alive, but Renee feels dizzy in response. When Renee returns to school she discovers there has been a flood in the girls’ dorm and Eleanor is missing.

While snooping in Gideon’s room, Renee discovers the school files for Eleanor, Cassandra and Ben. The files state Ben died from “kiss of death” and Cassandra died twice.

Dante finds Eleanor alive. He says she had been trapped in the flooded basement. The students go home for Christmas. Renee finds a copy of Descartes’ mythical Seventh Meditation in her grandfather’s house. The book explains that when children die, they can remain alive but soulless so long as they are not buried. They do not eat, sleep, or age. They are beautiful and fluent in Latin, but tortured by the fact that they do not have their soul. They spend their lives questing for their own soul. Legend says that if they find their original soul again they will become alive once more, but this has never been proven. Their bodies begin to decompose if they have not found their own soul by their 21st birthday, but they can preserve themselves by taking the souls of other people. A kiss on the mouth by one of these undead will lead to the theft of the soul. Renee realizes that Dante is one of these undead.

Renee confronts her grandfather and he explains that Gottfried is a school for the undead. The deaths associated with the Gottfried Curse were a mix of the undead dying for real once they reached age 21 and living students dying from having their souls stolen. The board of monitors is designed to watch the undead and protect the living from any rogue undead. These monitors are innately gifted at identifying the dead. Renee is one of them.

Renee discovers Eleanor has been turned into the undead and that her friend Nathaniel is also undead. At first she is unable to accept Dante, but she eventually takes him back. Nathaniel is buried alive but saved before he is killed permanently. Nathaniel reports that he was buried by Eleanor’s brother who was attempting to get revenge and make an example of one of the undead for killing his sister. Renee discovers Eleanor was killed by Gideon as revenge for Cassandra’s death.

Renee and Dante are called to the headmistress’s office where she tells them that they share a soul. She encourages Dante to take his soul back from Renee to see if the legend is true. Renee is convinced, but Dante refuses. They are interrupted by Gideon who kills the headmistress by stealing her soul. Dante chases Gideon outside where they fight. Renee kills Gideon, but in the process Dante and Renee fall into a hole.

Renee knows Dante will die in the hole, so she gives him her soul and becomes undead. Dante carries her out of the hole and the two lie on the grass together. Dante tells Renee he wants her to have a real life and he kisses her, returning her soul and dying himself.

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Summary: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Have you ever read a book and then forgotten everything you read? Do you ever wish you could just read a quick summary to refresh your memory instead of having to reread the entire book? I have, especially when a book is part of a series and I just want to get the highlights of the previous books so I know what's going on when I read the latest installment. I enjoy rereading, but sometimes I just feel so guilty spending time on a book I've already read when all the books on my TBR pile glare at me for neglecting them. These posts are an attempt to help forgetful readers like myself.

These posts are also where those of us who have read the book can hold a discussion about any events in the book. These discussions will contain spoilers. 

The following post is a summary of the book. If you have not read the book, then go to my Forgive My Fins review instead. 

This post does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, then don't read the rest of this post! 

Forgive My Fins, by Tera Lynn Childs 
Release Date: May 19, 2010
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 293
Received: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 
Author's Page
Amazon Page 
Goodreads Page

So you want to find out what happens in Forgive My Fins? Click here if you want to read my spoiler free review, or click the following link for the full summary:

Click me to read spoilers

Lily is a mermaid living on land and attending high school. In this book, mermaids are able to transform from their finned forms to a human form with ease. Lily’s mother was human (and is now deceased) while her father is the mermaid king. If Lily is to succeed him on the throne, she must find a mate before her upcoming birthday. Mermaids mate by kissing someone (mermaid or human), which then forms a bond where they can sense one another’s emotions. In the case of a human and mermaid bond, the human begins to transform into a mermaid. This process can only be severed a month after the initial kiss. Severing the bond means a human can never become a mermaid again.

The story opens with Lily in the bathtub talking on the phone with her best human friend Shannon (who does not know she is a mermaid). They are discussing Lily’s crush on popular boy Brody who has recently broken up with his girlfriend. The call is interrupted by bad boy Quince who is also Lily’s neighbor and is always teasing her but secretly likes her.

The next day in school Lily attempts to ask Brody to a dance, but Quince interrupts them. He warns Lily that Brody will say no. Lily ignores him and asks Brody in the lunch room. He says no and Lily runs out crying. She meets Quince in the hallway and he attempts to comfort her. They hide in the bathroom stall when Brody’s ex-girlfriend and her friends walk in and start talking about Lily. They are making fun of her. Quince holds Lily back to keep her from confronting Brody’s ex. Quince offers to help Lily get Brody and she accepts.

They meet after school where Quince gives Lily a costume that will match Brody’s costume for the dance. He then tells her to meet Brody in the library. Quince will tell Brody that his ex is waiting in the library, but really Lily will be there. Lily talks over this plan with her two best friends (human and mermaid) and they both think it is a good idea.

Lily waits in the library where she is kissed passionately by an unknown guy. When the kiss ends she realizes it is Quince and the two are now bonded. She runs home and Quince follows. She agrees to meet him the next day to explain the bond. Lily explains she is a mermaid and they are now bonded. Quince asks her to kiss him again and she grudgingly complies, though she admits to herself that she enjoys kissing him. She then takes Quince into the sea to go to see her father so he can sever the bond.

Quince is accepting of Lily’s secret and goes along with her happily. He is enthralled by the merworld, even though he did not know how to swim before this experience. Quince is welcomed with open arms and the castle rejoices, assuming Lily has found happiness. She explains the situation to her father who is disappointed. He asks that Lily wait until the next day before performing the severing. She agrees. Her cousin Dosinia is angry Lily has come back and stolen Dosinia’s attention (it was her birthday). Dosinia flirts heavily with Quince and Lily is jealous. Lily’s father sees this and decides not to perform the separation until Lily and Quince have a week to think about their relationship. Lily is angry, but complies. Quince is happy because he actually loves Lily.

The two go back to land where Lily treats him coolly, though Quince is increasingly nice to her. Both feel the bond intensifying their emotions and ability to sense one another. Lily recognizes she is falling for Quince, but she brushes it off as the effects of the bond and not real. Both of Lily’s friends don’t believe her and think she likes him and that he is a good guy and better than Brody. Lily persists in believing Brody is her true mate.

Lily and Quince pretend to be dating with Quince convincing her to do this in order to make Brody jealous. Brody is made jealous and begins to show interest in Lily. Quince is jealous of Brody’s new preoccupation with Lily believing, accurately, that he is only interested in her now because she seems to be no longer interested in him. Lily does not believe Quince, but her friends do.

At the end of the week, Lily and Quince return to the merkingdom to be separated. Lily’s father tells Lily they must go through mandatory couples counseling before he will perform the separation. This counseling involves the two staying on an isolated island over a weekend and being tested three times. They go to the island where they first must make a gift for one another. Lily makes Quince a sand dollar necklace because he admired the sand dollars in a statue at her underwater home. Quince builds Lily an impressive sand castle of her kingdom. Dosinia helped Quince, making Lily extremely jealous.

The second test involves Lily and Quince telling one another what they like best and least about the other. Quince’s responses startle Lily because they are essentially all compliments and show he understands and sees her on a deeper level than she imagined.

The third test occurred when a “fishing” boat appeared near them. They believe they are in danger and Lily protects Quince and risks her life to save his by drawing away the boat. The fishermen were really merfolk. Lily’s father decides that he does not believe Lily and Quince should be separated, but Lily insists she belongs with Brody. Her father makes them wait one more week.

Lily decides to tell Brody she is a mermaid and loves him. She realizes that if she is going to tell Brody she loves him, then she should also tell Shannon she is really a mermaid. Lily tells Shannon. Shannon accepts Lily, but cautions her about telling Brody she is a mermaid. Lily decides Shannon is right and that she will first only tell Brody she loves him and see how he responds.

Unfortunately, Brody overhears their conversation and so learns Lily’s secret identity. He thinks it is cool, but he treats Lily as a commodity and not a person. It is clear he does not love her. She regrets her choices and realizes Quince was right about Brody all along. Quince arrives and begins to beat up Brody. Lily stops him and tells him to meet her at home. She then proceeds to use her mermaid powers to wipe Brody’s memory. She tells him he fell down the stairs and then she leaves with Shannon.

Quince attempts to tell Lily he loves her, but she stops him. She is still fighting her feelings and tells him they need to return to her father and get the bond severed. She feels guilty for trapping Quince in a life with her. Quince is very much a land lover, and if they remain bonded, then he will be trapped in the water for as long as Lily is there, which would be almost all the time once she becomes queen.

Lily takes Quince to her secret favorite spot in the water and he appreciates the beauty of the place. Lily feels she is falling in love, but she is confused by the bond emotions and her guilt. Lily goes through with the bond and Quince is returned to land. Lily stays in the water, but she is very depressed.

Lily decides she loves Quince and is willing to give up her place as queen in order to live on land with Quince. Her father knew this would be her decision and is happy she finally realized her feelings for Quince. Lily leaves and tells Quince her feelings. They kiss.

Epilogue: Dosinia is seen stealing Lily’s father’s powerful trident and deciding to wreak her vengeance upon humans (she hates them because they killed her parents).

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Summary: Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde

Have you ever read a book and then forgotten everything you read? Do you ever wish you could just read a quick summary to refresh your memory instead of having to reread the entire book? I have, especially when a book is part of a series and I just want to get the highlights of the previous books so I know what's going on when I read the latest installment. I enjoy rereading, but sometimes I just feel so guilty spending time on a book I've already read when all the books on my TBR pile glare at me for neglecting them. These posts are an attempt to help forgetful readers like myself.

These posts are also where those of us who have read the book can hold a discussion about any events in the book. These discussions will contain spoilers. 

The following post is a summary of the book. If you have not read the book, then go to my Cloaked In Red review instead. 

This post does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, then don't read the rest of this post!

Cloaked in Red, b Vivian Vande Velde
Release Date: October 2010
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
Pages: 128
My Review
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

So you want to find out what happens in Cloaked in Red? Click here if you want to read my spoiler free review, or click the following link for the full summary:

Click me to read spoilers

Author’s Note: Explains the LRRH story, including multiple versions with various endings. Points out the absurdities of the story (how stupid Little Red was for not being able to tell the difference between her own grandmother and a wolf, naming a child after an article of clothing, etc).

The Red Cloak: Follows a girl named Meg who is shy and does not want to wear the bright red cloak her mother dyed for her. Her mother sends Meg to visit her grandmother and bring back a bowl used for stew. To avoid being seen in the cloak, Meg cuts through the woods. There, she encounters a wood cutter who decides to hold her hostage in order to get a ransom from her parents. He likely intends to kill her. Meg attracts a wolf and then tosses the stew bowl at the wood cutter. Attracted by the scent of the stew, the wolf goes after the wood cutter and traps him in a tree. Meg escapes. She is then noticed by a group of attractive boys who seem to admire her cloak. She decides having a “look-at-me-red” cloak might not be such a bad thing after all.

The Red Riding Hood Doll: Georgette is a dressmaker and a spinster who longs for a child. A disgruntled customer refuses a cloak Georgette made, and so Georgette decides to reuse the fabric. She sews into the night and creates a beautiful and very life-like doll with a long red cloak. Her mother wants to use the doll as a sample, but Georgette insists the doll is more like a child to her. Customers admire the doll and want to buy it, but Georgette refuses. Saddened, she wanders into the woods one night with her doll and falls asleep. When she wakes, she discovers the doll has been turned into a real girl, but she is not the child Georgette hoped for. A group of boys approach and begin flirting in a very unseemly manner. Georgette’s doll responds positively and runs off with the boys. Georgette decides children might be too much trouble after all and considers getting a cat instead.

Little Red Riding Hood’s Family: Roselle’s mother sprains her ankle while joking around with her family one day, so Roselle offers to go and visit her grandmother in her mother’s stead. Roselle puts on her cloak and walks through the woods to her grandmother’s house. When she arrives, she hears thuds coming from the bedroom. She goes to investigate and find her grandmother—in her wolf form—sorting through her closet looking for her shoes. Grandmother is happy to see Roselle and the reader learns that Grandmother is a werewolf, and very kind. The reader also learns that Roselle is a witch. A vampire comes into the cottage, but Roselle takes care of him with her magic by turning him into a frog before he can do anyone harm. Roselle and Grandmother then eat together.


Granny and the Wolf: Nelda is a wealthy elderly woman being courted by a wood cutter named Gladwyn. She is not at all interested in him, accurately feeling Gladwyn is only after her money. While on her way to sell tarts in the village, Nelda happens upon a female wolf caught in one of Gladwyn’s animal traps. She rescues the wolf and gives her some treats. The wolf follows Nelda back to her home and Nelda bandages her up and feeds her more treats. The two become fast friends. Nelda’s granddaughter Scarlet then comes over, but Nelda decides she must hide the wolf. Scarlet’s father is very worrisome and would not like it if Nelda had a pet wolf. She hides the wolf in her bedroom and lets Scarlet in. Scarlet wants to try on a dress Nelda is sewing for her, but the dress is in her bedroom. Nelda hides the wolf in her wardrobe and then helps Scarlet into her dress. Gladwyn then comes over and Nelda needs to hide Scarlet so Gladwyn doesn’t make comments about Nelda spending so much money on her granddaughter. She hides Scarlet under the table. The wolf begins whining and Gladwyn wonders what is going on. Nelda claims it is her grandchild ill and in bed. Gladwyn insists he see her. Nelda takes the wolf out of the wardrobe, puts her in the bed and puts a hat on her. Gladwyn is fooled, but remarks on how hairy she is. Nelda claims it is a family trait, hoping to also dissuade Gladwyn’s feelings for her in the process. Scarlet’s father then arrives, and Nelda tells Gladwyn that he must leave for her son is very protective of her and will hurt Gladwyn if he sees him. Gladwyn flees. Scarlet’s father enters and asks to borrow an ax. He then leaves. Scarlet comes out and questions Nelda on her “other grandchild.” Nelda comes clean and Scarlet, Nelda, and the wolf happily eat dinner together.


Deems the Wood Gatherer: Deems is a kind hearted but very poor-sighted wood gatherer. The story follows him as he gathers wood one day. He comes across the wolf and the three little pigs, but due to his poor eyesight he mistakes the wolf for a man. He helps the wolf break into the little pigs’ house, assuming he is helping a father get back into his home of which his children have locked him out. He then accidentally steps on the gingerbread man. He then comes across Hansel and Gretel walking through the woods with their parents. Appalled at seeing children waste food (dropping bread crumbs) he picks them up. He then brings the wood he gathered to his “kind” neighbor with a house made of candy. He remarks that she will be very happy with all of the wood he’s bringing her because she had said she is having a lot of children for dinner.


Why Willy and His Brother Won’t Ever Amount to Anything: Isolda is a young girl who happens upon a baby fox, but the fox is frightened away by her neighbor Willy who believes he is saving her from a wolf. Isolda remarks that neither Willy nor his brother will ever amount to anything because they are dreamers. Willy and his brother Jakob later “save” Isolda and her grandmother from a stuffed animal wolf. Grandmother says that those Grimm brothers will never amount to anything. The narrator states that she was right, because all they ever became were writers.

The Little Red Headache: A wolf is sleeping until a little girl in a red cloak steps on his tail. He wakes and she begins screaming, giving him a splitting headache. She runs away and leaves her basket of food behind. The wolf, trying to be nice, picks up the basket and follows her in an attempt to return her basket. She runs away screaming again. The wolf decides to go to the cottage in the woods, thinking she is probably heading there. A grandmother opens the door and screams, thinking the wolf is there to eat her. She hides in the wardrobe. Hearing the girl approaching, the wolf tries to hide in the bed. She sees him and begins screaming. Granny begins screaming again. The wolf, with a gigantic headache at this point, jumps out of bed, out the door, and leaves. He runs into a woodcutter who screams, but the wolf just keeps running.

Little Red Riding Hood’s Little Red Riding Hood: An old fairy godmother is asked to grant a gift to her goddaughter Ruby. Donning a red cloak, she goes to see the little girl, but misspeaks when granting the gift. She accidentally grants the cloak intelligence, but because she is old she is only able to do one bit of magic per day. She decides to give the cloak to the baby. The intelligent cloak mends itself, alters its colors to what Ruby is wearing, etc. Ruby, unfortunately, is pretty dumb, and so she often finds herself in trouble. Ruby encounters a wolf in the woods who wishes to eat her. The cloak attempts to help her by snagging itself on doorways to hold her back and covering her mouth to keep her from admitting she is alone, but Ruby thwarts the “stupid” cloak. The wolf masquerades as Ruby’s grandmother. The cloak throws itself on the wolf and Ruby starts screaming because the wolf “grandmother” had promised Ruby a gift. A woodcutter hears her screams and comes to help. The wolf, with the cloak still on its face, jumps out the window realizing that this is more trouble than it is worth. The cloak agrees, and slinks away out the window where it is picked up by another person. The cloak is passed down through the years until it comes to be owned by Superman.

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Summary: Wildwing by Emily Whitman

Have you ever read a book and then forgotten everything you read? Do you ever wish you could just read a quick summary to refresh your memory instead of having to reread the entire book? I have, especially when a book is part of a series and I just want to get the highlights of the previous books so I know what's going on when I read the latest installment. I enjoy rereading, but sometimes I just feel so guilty spending time on a book I've already read when all the books on my TBR pile glare at me for neglecting them. These posts are an attempt to help forgetful readers like myself.

The following post is a summary of the book. It does contain spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, then don't read the rest of this post!

Wildwing, by Emily Whitman
Release Date: September 21, 2010
Publisher: Greenwillow books
Pages: 359
My Review
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

So you want to find out what happens in Wildwing? Click here if you want to read my spoiler free review, or click the following link for the full summary:

Click me to read spoilers

The story opens in 1913 with fifteen year old Addy excited about being chosen to play the part of the queen in a school play. Addy is a poor girl and the daughter of a single mother. She is ridiculed by her wealthier peers for being both poor and fatherless. On the way home from school, Addy gets into a fight with one of her classmates who had been picking on her. When her mother finds out, Addy is forced to apologize (a humiliating experience), leave school, and become a maid for the eccentric Mr. Greenwood.

Mr. Greenwood is a widower whose son James went missing when James was a young child. Mr. Greenwood has remained reclusive ever since. Addy is at first scared of him, but they soon strike up a friendship over a shared love of books. Mr. Greenwood nurtures Addy and begins to think of her as the child he never had.

While cleaning the house, Addy discovers a locked room and decides to explore. She finds a strange contraption that looks like an elevator lift. Upon stepping inside, she is transported back to the 13th century where she is mistaken for a lady and treated with respect. She only wanders through town for a short while before going back to the lift and heading home. While in the medieval village, Addy accidentally fell and tore her skirts. Her mother mistakes these tears for evidence of another fight and she decides to send Addy away as a live-in maid.

Addy does not want this life and so she decides to go back to the 13th century where she can live the life of a grand lady. Unbeknownst to Addy, Mr. Greenwood is also working to ensure a life for Addy different from the one her mother plans. Addy steals the dress she would have worn in the school play and takes the lift/time machine back to the 13th century. She sets the machine to arrive again in fifteen days, just in case things don’t work out for her and she wants to return to her own time.

Upon arrival, she sees a great Peregrine falcon that leads her to the ocean. There, she discovers a shipwreck. She finds an expensive cross necklace and a ring in the wreckage and puts both of them on. She then wades into the water to see if she can find any survivors. In the process, she is happened upon by Sir Hugh’s men who mistake her for the Lady Matilda. Matilda is the King’s ward and was on the ship that wrecked, coming to marry Sir Hugh. Addy sees an opportunity to elevate her status and pretends to be Lady Matilda. Her ignorance of various matters is explained away by a head injury she “sustained” in the ship wreck.

At the castle, Beatrix is assigned to Addy as her lady’s maid. Beatrix is an older peasant woman who lives in town. She is kind to Addy and the two become friends. Beatrix doses Addy so Addy sleeps to recover from her shipwreck ordeal. When Addy wakes up, Beatrix finds her making her bed, but the incident is brushed aside quickly. Beatrix shows Addy around the castle and explains that Sir Hugh is currently away but will be returning in a few weeks. Addy also meets Eustace, a shrewd steward who does not trust Addy. Addy’s appearance is also commented on, as Lady Matilda was supposed to be rather ugly and Addy is not. None had seen the lady in person, however, so Addy’s ruse is still safe.

Addy makes a number of mistakes such as eating the bread trenchers used as dinner plates, not wiping her mouth on the shared goblet, not understanding the way food and drink are shared, and not attending church. Eustace is increasingly suspicious and writes to Sir Hugh about Addy’s errors. He alludes to the necessity of her marriage to Sir Hugh and implores Sir Hugh to hurry back.

Meanwhile, Addy is introduced to Will, an attractive boy who is the son of the castle falconer. Will had trained a small merlin for the Lady Matilda, but Addy is captivated by the peregrine falcon Pilgrim that Will has trained for Sir Hugh. She rudely demands Pilgrim, and eventually compromises with Will to assist in Pilgrim’s training instead.

When Addy meets resistance by Eustace and the castle guards (they fear her going out alone), she concocts a “vision.” Addy pretends to have seen a vision of herself, Will, and Beatrix going to the hill where the lift first arrived. There, they were to see a bird and a godly voice telling Addy to “Go.” This is interpreted to mean Addy should take up falconry. When Addy, Will, and Beatrix go to the hill for real, they see the same beautiful peregrine falcon that Addy saw when she first arrived. The sunlight strikes the bird and Beatrix believes the vision has come to pass. The local priest is awed and sets to work on a plaque.

Will and Addy are now able to go outside the castle walls to fulfill Addy’s vision. The two spend much time together training Pilgrim with only Beatrix as chaperone (Beatrix often falls asleep and so they are effectively alone). Through their conversations, Addy discovers that Will appeared as if out of nowhere when he was a young child, claiming to have arrived in a box. They also discover evidence of Sir Giles’ men skulking about the land. Sir Hugh owes Sir Giles money and the two are often fighting. Addy does not want Eustace to decide it is too dangerous for her and Will to go out, and so she does not tell anyone about Sir Giles’ men.

The body of the real Lady Matilda is discovered, but she is assumed to be Addy’s lady’s maid. Addy goes along with this, though she feels guilty that the dead Matilda has no one to pray for her soul. Eustace becomes increasingly suspicious of Addy and her relationship with Will. Eustace is shown to be a cruel man when he threatens and hits a young servant boy. Addy witnesses this, but chooses to hold her tongue for fear of inviting Eustace’s further suspicion.

The king sends an expensive cloth to be used to make Addy’s wedding dress. He also sends word that he will be attending the wedding. Appalled by the idea of marrying Sir Hugh, a much older man, especially now that she loves Will, Addy cries often. Sir Giles, a neighboring lord comes to reclaim a debt Sir Hugh owes him and threatens war if those debts are not paid. He shows the severed head of one of Sir Hugh’s men as a sign of his seriousness. Addy confronts Eustace, but Eustace assures her it is a minor disagreement and nothing for her to worry about. Eustace then writes to Sir Hugh imploring him to return immediately.

Sir Hugh does return, and while he is pleased with Addy, she is not pleased with him. He is much older than her and a very brash and bawdy man. He drinks much, is loud, and while friendly, has a brutish air about him. He is fond of war, drink, and women. Addy is repulsed, but tries to convince herself that she will be wealthy when she marries Sir Hugh, and that should make her happy. She tells Will that they can still see one another. Will agrees.

Sir Hugh, Will, and Addy go hawking together with Pilgrim and Addy decides she cannot stand him. She and Will conspire to run away together. Addy doses Beatrix and slips out with Will. While they are running away, Sir Hugh is out hawking with Will’s father and the king’s expensive falcon. Sir Hugh’s brashness gets the falcon lost and caught in a tree. Will and Addy find the falcon and are faced with a dilemma: Leave the falcon stuck in the tree and know that Will’s father will be killed as punishment for losing the king’s bird, or return with the bird and lose their opportunity for escape. They decide to return.

Upon their arrival, Addy is informed that a spy has been captured and is in the dungeon. She is taken to see the spy and discovers that he is not a spy at all, but Mr. Greenwood come to rescue her. He is ill from his ordeal in the dungeons and Addy worries for him. Sir Hugh and Addy talk over the unconscious Mr. Greenwood (whom Addy has claimed as her countryman arrived for the wedding), and Sir Hugh reveals a softer side of himself. Mr. Greenwood recovers and becomes fast friends with Sir Hugh after explaining a number of more modern ways of farming and technology. Mr. Greenwood recognizes Will as his long lost son, but implores Addy not to tell him. Will has made a life with a loving father, and Mr. Greenwood does not wish to take that from him. He is content to watch his son from afar knowing that he is alive and well.

Will and Addy still plan on running away, though Mr. Greenwood’s presence adds some trouble as Addy feels responsible for him. Addy overhears Eustace and Sir Hugh arguing over Sir Giles. She discovers that Sir Hugh owes Sir Giles a large sum of money, and they were counting on using Addy’s dowry to pay off the debt. If they are unable to pay, Sir Giles will bring war and many of Sir Hugh’s people will die. Addy now feels responsible for these people and she realizes that she must marry Sir Hugh after all.

Addy confesses the whole truth to Will: Her time traveling, Sir Hugh’s debts, and how her marriage would save lives. Will believes her, but he still wants to run away together. Eustace comes in and threatens Addy, and Will understands she must go through with the marriage. Addy also confesses to Beatrix, but Beatrix tells her that she suspected Addy was not Lady Matilda from the beginning and she is happy for Addy. While they are talking, Addy comes up with a plan to both provide money for Sir Hugh and happiness for herself and Will.

On the day of the wedding, Addy marries Sir Hugh while wearing a veil so the king does not recognize her. She explains that she had another vision where she must wear the veil until she revisits the site of her first vision on the hill. She must do this alone except for Pilgrim, Will, and Beatrix. When she gets to the hilltop, the lift is there as scheduled by Mr. Greenwood. Addy ties her veil to Pilgrim and sends the bird flying. Beatrix, on cue, cries out that there is a blinding light and it is a miracle. She claims that Addy has been taken by god. In reality, Addy has left in the time machine, promising to send it back in a few days for Will (so as not to arouse suspicion that they ran off together).

When Addy arrives back in 1913, the time machine’s dials catch on fire and are destroyed. Addy despairs that she will never see Will again and she slowly accepts her old life again. Her mother does not mention sending her away again, and Addy is able to convince her mother to allow her to return to school. A short time later, Addy is informed that the missing and now presumed dead Mr. Greenwood had left his estate to Addy. Later that day, Addy hears of a mysterious appearance of a strange box. She goes to investigate and finds a wooden version of the time machine. It is empty. She rushes to Mr. Greenwood’s house where she finds Will. He has returned to her and they live happily ever after.

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