Why am I passionate about this?
āHope in dark placesā has been the theme of my life, beginning at age 17 when my parents disowned me for my faith. Iāve walked through the āvalley of the shadow of deathā twice, battling cancer, and endured many other struggles, which everyone faces at some time in their lives. Reading Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey as a teen gave me the courage to face the darkness, and so the characters in the stories I write and prefer to read do likewise.
Katy's book list on YA fantasy about hope in dark places
Why did Katy love this book?
When I first started reading this fantasy book club selection, I thought it would be a simple sort-of-like Cinderella tale and didnāt expect to be sucked into Leahās story. My heart went out to her for all the ways she was unfairly treated and misunderstood, for I have known that pain. She was trying to save the royal family, and the queen exiled her!
The best part about this story is how brave and loyal Leah is, and how she doesnāt complain, even when she has good reason. I remember how difficult it was not to complain when I was a teen, so I especially appreciate the encouragement Leah gives without realizing it.
1 author picked Common as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.
Only one person knows of the plot against the royal family and cares enough to try to stop itāthe servant girl they banished.
Leah spends her days scrubbing floors, polishing silver, and meekly curtsying to nobility. Nothing distinguishes her from the other commoners serving at the palace, except her red hair.
And her secret friendship with Rafe, the Crown Prince of Imperia.
But Leahās safe, ordinary world begins to splinter. Rafeās parents announce his betrothal to a foreign princess, and she unearths a plot to overthrow the royal family. When she reports it without proof, her life shatters completely whenā¦