Fireflies in December

Fireflies in December

Jennifer Erin Valent

Jessilyn is an awkward thirteen year old whose only friend is Gemma, the daughter of the housekeeper. Gemma comes to live with Jessilyn and her family when her parents die tragically one night. The summer begins with their death and ends with the deaths of several others. It is possibly the worse summer that Jessilyn can ever remember. But some good can come out of tragedy and Jessilyn is about to learn more about growing up than she ever thought possible.

My first reaction upon putting the book down was reflection and thankfulness. While I was a little distracted by some points, the main message was beautiful. The author crafted a story that will send the reader on a contemplative journey about race, true friendship, agape love, and convictions.

The story was set in a time that was hard to put together. It would have been more believable if the story had been set 30 years later. Some of the characters weren't developed enough and the ending seemed rather abrupt. But the author is on the right track. She was able to capture my attention and keep it the entire book, despite the negatives I saw. Since this appears to be her first book, I'm definitely willing to read more of her work since I feel she has some definite talent for story writing.

I received this book free of charge from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.