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Finding McHenry
The stories that saved him might swallow him…
On a quiet summer morning in a tiny rural town, eight-year-old Riven Smith disappeared from his yard. Nobody heard a thing. His ten-year-old next-door neighbor Lily had always considered Riven a pest, following her around all summer asking questions and telling stories about fairies and gnomes. Worse, he was a weird pest whose mom didn’t believe in phones or eating meat or snack cakes. However, once he was gone, she couldn’t stop imagining him hurt or scared or dead, and his absence burrowed a hole into her heart that didn’t heal.
Five years later he comes darker, broken, mysterious, and yet still the little boy who'd disappeared. He brings with him pain and secrets and challenges, and Lily vows she will be the friend to older Riven that she hadn't been to the younger one, no matter the cost.
That's when she meets Fairyland, the world in Riven's head that kept him company for his long absence. Little does she know the danger, heartache, and wisdom it will require to merge Riven's worlds and bring him safely home in every way. Nor does she know how much she'll grow and learn while she does it.
Who knew a pesky little next-door neighbor with a dimpled smile and a bag of homemade granola in his shorts pocket could change a girl's whole world?
Finding McHenry is a book of healing, love, friendship, and danger, with a little bit of crazy on the side. A Christian teen read that's just as appealing to adults, it's part of the Snack Cake Chronicles Christian young adult novels. Read them in any order, tales about growing up, growing in faith, and learning to love.
On a quiet summer morning in a tiny rural town, eight-year-old Riven Smith disappeared from his yard. Nobody heard a thing. His ten-year-old next-door neighbor Lily had always considered Riven a pest, following her around all summer asking questions and telling stories about fairies and gnomes. Worse, he was a weird pest whose mom didn’t believe in phones or eating meat or snack cakes. However, once he was gone, she couldn’t stop imagining him hurt or scared or dead, and his absence burrowed a hole into her heart that didn’t heal.
Five years later he comes darker, broken, mysterious, and yet still the little boy who'd disappeared. He brings with him pain and secrets and challenges, and Lily vows she will be the friend to older Riven that she hadn't been to the younger one, no matter the cost.
That's when she meets Fairyland, the world in Riven's head that kept him company for his long absence. Little does she know the danger, heartache, and wisdom it will require to merge Riven's worlds and bring him safely home in every way. Nor does she know how much she'll grow and learn while she does it.
Who knew a pesky little next-door neighbor with a dimpled smile and a bag of homemade granola in his shorts pocket could change a girl's whole world?
Finding McHenry is a book of healing, love, friendship, and danger, with a little bit of crazy on the side. A Christian teen read that's just as appealing to adults, it's part of the Snack Cake Chronicles Christian young adult novels. Read them in any order, tales about growing up, growing in faith, and learning to love.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 6, 2023
Outstanding story.
Absolutely loved: Lily - she is what an empath feels like; Lacey & Elias's turnarounds; how the adults were 'there' for the kids, to protect and save them from a system that would have caused them more damage; how deals with the question of "where is God in all of this?"
It left me with: to regrow wings- believe; in any trauma or hardship or pain - look for the 'gift', there is always a gift. We may BE, or have the key, to someone's dilemma (the calm in/for their storm). There is lots more. A truly impressive story telling book. Highly recommend it.
Absolutely loved: Lily - she is what an empath feels like; Lacey & Elias's turnarounds; how the adults were 'there' for the kids, to protect and save them from a system that would have caused them more damage; how deals with the question of "where is God in all of this?"
It left me with: to regrow wings- believe; in any trauma or hardship or pain - look for the 'gift', there is always a gift. We may BE, or have the key, to someone's dilemma (the calm in/for their storm). There is lots more. A truly impressive story telling book. Highly recommend it.
October 12, 2023
I loved this book. I was not sure what to expect from the blurb, but I was pleasantly surprised as to how hooked I was. This is a really great book. I really recommend it to all.
April 30, 2023
This Christian young adult/ teen romance story will live on long in my memory for being so different in how a group of young teens face their various challenges along with Riven, the main character, who has events that could change him irrevocably and the journey he takes before, during and afterwards. Throw in his friends from fairyland to make it one memorable read!
The honesty, hurt, the pain and reality are all woven in but it’s also a story of healing, special friendships and the journey to God for some of the characters.
Loved the fairyland characters and Lila touched me too. Highly recommended!
I received this story as an Advanced Reader copy from the author and this is my own opinion given freely!
The honesty, hurt, the pain and reality are all woven in but it’s also a story of healing, special friendships and the journey to God for some of the characters.
Loved the fairyland characters and Lila touched me too. Highly recommended!
I received this story as an Advanced Reader copy from the author and this is my own opinion given freely!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews