  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2018 Gr 4–6—Impetuous and mischievous, sixth grader Guinevere (Gwyn) relocates from New York City to the small Iowa town where her parents grew up. Her dad recently moved them in the hopes of finding a cure for her mother who has struggled with memory loss since Gwyn was very young. When her only friend, Wilbur, goes missing, Gwyn suspects her next-door neighbor, a giantess named Gaysie Cutter. Gwyn's detective work is complicated by Gaysie being the mother of Guinevere's new friend Micah. Gwyn and her little sister Bitty soon find all kinds of trouble, mostly in attempts to prove Gaysie's crimes. In the background, but well integrated, is the story of Vienna's own daredevil ways. Gwyn is on the wrong track from the first and her determination blinds her to what readers gradually begin to see. The underlying mystery keeps the pages turning, and the strength of plot and characters overcomes the somewhat stereotypical portrayal of a small town. VERDICT A promising debut and a strong secondary purchase for middle grade collections seeking realistic fiction.—Carol A. Edwards, formerly at Denver Public Library - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 06/01/2018 *Starred Review* “I was 10 when Gaysie Cutter tried to kill me.” The me here is Gwyn St. Clair, who, along with her first-grade sister, has been moved to Crow, Iowa, by her father, Jed, so their mother, Vienna, can be cared for where they grew up. Vienna, who had a medical emergency, losing oxygen to her brain, has lost many of her memories, but Jed, who reads voraciously about neural connections, thinks she can rediscover them. Gaysie, big, loud, and often one step away from blowing her stack, grew up with Jed and Vienna, and together, they endured a traumatic sledding accident in which another child died. Now, on her ramshackle farm, Gaysie parents her son, Micah, and Jimmy, an abandoned boy. Gwyn is befriended by the boys, but after a traumatic introduction to Gaysie, Gwyn is wary of her. When an elderly farmer goes missing, Gwyn is determined to prove that the volatile Gaysie murdered him. The smart dialogue and flowing description, catching the beauty of corn and cows, highlights the eccentric, yet wholly believable characters. This is part mystery, part study of the human heart, and pierced with rays of hope. Everyone here, adults and children, have lessons they need to learn, and first-time novelist Makechnie offers them those paths in startling ways. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
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