Author: Angela Scott
Publication: August 6, 2012
By: Evolved Publishing
3.5 Stars
Samantha Jean Haggert is a beautiful twelve-year-old girl, but no one
knows it. All they see is an awkward boy in a baseball cap and baggy
pants. Sam's not thrilled with the idea of hiding her identity, but it's
all part of her brother's plan to keep Sam safe from male attention and
hidden from the law. 15-year-old Jacob will stop at nothing to protect
his sister, including concealing the death of the one person who should
have protected them in the first place--their mother.
Sam and Jacob try to outrun their past by stealing the family car and traveling from West Virginia to Arizona, but the adult world proves mighty difficult to navigate, especially for two kids on their own. Trusting adults has never been an option; no adult has ever given them a good reason. But when Sam meets "Jesus"--who smells an awful lot like a horse--in the park, life takes a different turn. He saved her once, and may be willing to save Sam and her brother again, if only they admit what took place that fateful day in West Virginia. The problem? Sam doesn't remember, and Jacob isn't talking.
Sam and Jacob try to outrun their past by stealing the family car and traveling from West Virginia to Arizona, but the adult world proves mighty difficult to navigate, especially for two kids on their own. Trusting adults has never been an option; no adult has ever given them a good reason. But when Sam meets "Jesus"--who smells an awful lot like a horse--in the park, life takes a different turn. He saved her once, and may be willing to save Sam and her brother again, if only they admit what took place that fateful day in West Virginia. The problem? Sam doesn't remember, and Jacob isn't talking.
Thank you to author, Angela Scott for this e-book which was provided in exchange for an honest review. Desert Rice is a well written story about love, sacrifice and what it really means to be a family. It's raw and gritty in places but not without it's heartwarming moments of grace and redemption. Jacob is the epitome of what a brother should be and even though he harbors extreme guilt, he's willing to do whatever is necessary to protect Sam.
There were parts of this story that I found difficult to read due to the subject matter but they were balanced out by the humorous coming-of-age awkward ones. This story isn't one that could be finished off with a, "And they lived happily ever after" ending and I was glad to see that it wasn't. This one ended in a realistic way but was also left open for the story to continue if the author decides to go that route.
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