Wade, Rebecca. The theft & the miracle.

WADE, Rebecca. The theft & the miracle. Harper Collins. 352p. c2007. 0-060-77493-2. $16.99. J

This is a fantasy cleverly packaged as a modern-day mystery with Stephen King overtones and a little historical background regarding clerical corruption and the plague during the Middle Ages. Living in an unnamed British town that hosts a great cathedral, Hannah Price is the protagonist/heroine. She feels like an outsider, as many YA protagonists do, because she is both pimply and plump; but as the third-person omniscient narrator is quick to reveal, Hannah is special because she notices things other people take for granted. She is also gifted in art. And, in spite of feeling like a klutz, she has a group of devoted friends because she is, above all, a charitable soul. One day when she is in the cathedral, she is captivated by the famous sculpture of the Madonna and Child, almost spellbound, and within ten minutes draws a perfect likeness. The very next day, part of the sculpture, the baby, is stolen. The sketch Hannah has drawn pulls her into a number of dangerous paranormal experiences: here there be witches and ghosts and angelic guardians and fiendish foes.

Aside from the rather frenetic pace of the plot, the theme of this story is the blessings that come with having a charitable heart. The ending is prolonged and to cynical adults may be mawkish. However, the same might be said about any number of fantasy novels. Furthermore, the triumph of good over evil may be just the ticket for fantasy and adventure-loving young teens. Myrna Marler, Assoc. Prof. of English, BYU, Laie, HI

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.