School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-When her father dies as the result of suicide after the stock market crash of 1929, 12-year-old orphan Lizzie must find work even though she lacks any marketable talents. An invitation to travel alone to her wealthy uncle's logging camp in the Vancouver wilderness, where she will work for the summer as governess for his sons, provides a short-lived solution. When she arrives there, Lizzie finds that her uncle and his family have left and the camp boss, a vile and greedy alcoholic, has devised a plan to hold Lizzie for ransom. With the help of the loggers, Lizzie learns skills she never thought she could and becomes a part of their team. Descriptions of the camp and of the logging procedures are fascinating, though unfamiliar readers might experience some difficulty following along. While the premise is exciting and Lizzie is a brave and resourceful protagonist, the suspense level is relatively low; readers are not likely to truly fear for her safety. VERDICT Readers of historical fiction will appreciate this likable heroine, the interesting time period, and the unusual setting. A commendable secondary purchase.-MaryAnn Karre, Binghamton, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Twelve-year-old Lizzie goes from privileged daughter to hostage to high climber in Arden's transporting historical fiction novel. After the 1929 stock market crash and Lizzie's father's subsequent suicide, Lizzie is sent to work as a governess for her uncle's boys at Dark Water Bay, an isolated logging camp in Vancouver, British Columbia. But when she gets there, her uncle is nowhere to be found, and the camp's boss holds Lizzie hostage until her uncle pays a ransom. Despite her precarious circumstances, Lizzie forms friendships with the coarse but kind loggers and eventually performs the camp's most dangerous job: high climber. Arden's descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of Dark Water Bay exquisitely capture the rough beauty of a logging camp surrounded by a vast wilderness. The lyrical writing shines, and yet the danger that Lizzie faces from nature and from men is never far from the surface. Well-drawn characters and pitch-perfect writing elevate this adventure tale to soaring heights.--Turk, Mariko Copyright 2018 Booklist
