Scorpio's Child

by Kezi Matthews

It is 1947. Afton, still mourning her brother killed in World War II, is stunned when her Uncle Bailey, a man she never even knew existed, shows up in their small South Carolina town. Their neighbors think that he is a returning prisoner of war, but something about Bailey makes Afton skeptical and a bit nervous--especially after her mother makes it clear she must not tell her father, who is off at sea. After what happened to her brother, Afton cannot live with more secrets. With quiet determination, she sets out to unravel Bailey's haunted past....

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 18, 2001

Reviews

[Marisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I don’t get what the point of this book is.

[RLB Hartmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a pretty gritty coming of age for a Puffin book. Well-written family story which delivers when it promises "secrets from the past."

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of just a few characters. Very melancholy, mostly takes place in the main character's head. The only reason it didn't get more stars from me was because it ended very abruptly. All loose ends, like someone just snipped off the story and you're left to wonder.

Maybe that's what makes it good, the lack of predictability. All doesn't end happily. You do wonder. And that keeps the story alive.

I originally gave it three stars. After thinkong about it, I've bumped it up to 4.

[Alana Wilkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fast read about a girl growing up in the 1940s. Afton's brother, with whom she was very close, was killed in WWII. She is trying to deal with this while her father is away with the merchant marines. Her mother is not coping well without her husband, when out of the blue Afton's uncle shows up and stays at the house. Afton's uncle was never mentioned before, and Afton is bound to determine what his story is all about.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, it's a very quick read, but still very thought provoking. I loved the setting of the story, a small town in the south in the 1940's. This is a story about family secrets, and trust and the bond between siblings and also a mother and daughter. My favorite character was the little girl, Pearl. I wish the ending hadn't been quite so abrupt, but still I enjoyed this book and am so glad I read it.

[Lynn Mathieu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stubborn young girl with a unemotional mother who thinks there is something going on which she tries to make it a household of drama.Her mother is disconnected from her family and motherhood in general,the daughter is a free spirit and is spited for it,her mom does not say much of what is going on/who the new visitor is, leading her daughter to be her own investigator.I found the book a bit drawn out.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book held my attention in that I wanted to find out "the rest of the story". I really liked the main character. She seemed to genuinely care for people. Family dynamics abound in this book. I felt the depth of the characters could have been explored more, but this was a thin book. That being the case, much took place within it's pages.

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just another story about a dysfunctional family. Dime a dozen...absentee Dad, emotionally unstable Mom, kid who has to try to cope as an adult because there is no adult around who can help her just be a kid. Through in a weird, disturbed uncle who Mom has kept a secret and what do you get? A mess.

[Manda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is pretty good. It sort of just ends, with out much detail. Because it is short, and a decent read, it has the potential to become a classic. I can see this on high school reading lists 20 years from now if it ever gets widely discovered.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating - A short, intriguing book.

[Renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly moving for a small YA text. Matthews' female characters are remarkably well-written and well-developed. It's a bittersweet, painful narrative, but also a hopeful one.

[Lavonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forgettable historical y-a fiction with a story that wasn't completely explained...

[Tamara Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

quick read. sad, sweet story about ppl in a small Southern town during WW II. interesting to see the changed attitudes towards several elements of social structure.