Hidden Strings
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Fourteen-year-old Tessa has always loved her grandmother's family fun park. Once a dazzling display of roadside attractions, highlighted by her grandmother's puppet show, the park is now struggling after her parents inherited it. This might be the park's last summer. Tessa, missing her grandmother, can't bring herself to take over the puppet show, no matter how many times her parents ask. Luckily, a strange traveling puppeteer offers to do the show for free, which might save the park from ruin. Liza captivates her nightly audiences with tales of ghosts, monsters, and witches. She is magnetic and mesmerizing--a master storyteller--but her sharp gaze often sends chills crawling over Tessa's skin. When children begin disappearing from the park and adults seem to fall under some kind of spell, Tessa goes undercover as the puppeteer's apprentice to investigate. But when a friend goes missing, she must untangle a web of lies and magic in time to save them all. That's not so easy when someone else is pulling your strings. Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor's Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.
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Tessa is struggling to come to terms with her beloved grandma's death while trying to convince her parents not to give up on the summer camp Nana created, bringing joy to the hearts of children. An enigmatic puppeteer arrives with enticing puppets and haunting stories, a woman who speaks in riddles and covert threats. And children start disappearing. And new puppets are being created. And new stories are being conceived and narrated...As the fairy lights cast a magic aura on the summer nights, secrets must lie hidden.
Like hidden strings...
A modern fable, a fairytale for the modern era, set in a saltry summer when the nights are short but no less threatening. A story to be told under the twinkling lights in hushed voices, a tale as old as time itself.
The character of Liza was fascinating beyond words. Unfortunately, Tessa is given the short end of the stick, and her character is the average naive teenager of today's YA nonsense. In addition, the dialogue is almost lifeless, and the writing itself is lacklustre at best. Thank God for the haunting story, the dark tales and the short length of the novel.
Many thanks to North Star Editions and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.