Friday Reads: Rag Dolls: Callie's Story

By Shelley Terrell



From the web (edited):
After the sudden death of her beloved Nana, Callie is ripped away from everything she knows and placed in a filthy, loveless home which is overcrowded with foster children. Because of her ability to feel other's emotions, she is overwhelmed by pain from the other children. Callie knows that if she is to survive, she will have to turn off her emotions completely. Then, just when she thinks she's safe, something terrible happens. Now, Callie has a secret that could get her killed. She knows that if she wants to live she'll have to leave, but she has no money, no family and nowhere to go. She tries to escape but he’s following her and he’s getting closer. 


Rag Dolls: Callie's Story reads like a fairy tale: a beautiful young girl, beset by one calamity after another, manages to get by with a little faith and a little help from a variety of 'fairy godmothers'. The tone, despite some of the intense subject matter, is upbeat and hopeful and Callie is a likable main character. The pacing is good(if somewhat repetitive) and the author's voice fun. Initially, I thought the narration was too childish for the story, but this was explained later on.  However,  there are a few too many coincidences, lucky breaks, repetitive narration, and unanswered questions, (chief of which for me was: is Callie's talent magic or psychic?) for me to give this a five-star. 


Summary: While the book could use a hefty story edit - although mostly grammatically sound -, Callie's Story was an enjoyable way to pass a few hours. 

Note for younger audiences: some violence and an off-screen rape.

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