If you can
only read one Young Adult fiction book this year, make sure you choose Fault
Lines by Nora Shalaway Carpenter.
Viv
Spry is a teenager with an assertive personality, one that appears to be at
odds with the rigid ways of the rural West Virginia town where she lives. Viv
lost her mother when she was a child, and her aunt died recently.
Spending time in the tree stand on her
homestead helped her to feel her aunt’s energy. Being close to that specific
tree made her feel her aunt’s love for her. She was at peace in that
sanctuary; it was okay to be who she was there.
Viv Spry experienced a profound connection
with the trees around her. The energy that flowed from the trees was familiar
to her. She understood them on a deeper level. One day, something unexpected
happens: the earth opens up and the tree falls down close to her. She could have been crushed. When she
learns that fracking played a role in this, she is determined to save her
homestead and trees from the threat of fracking.
The name of the town where the story takes
place is an imaginary one: Twisted Pines. Yet the author drew her inspiration
from real life situations...
When Dex Mathews moves to Twisted Pines with
his mother, he is filled with hope. His mother has a job for the company in
charge of fracking. His parents had been in the military. His father had refused to get
help for his depression and PTSD and that broke their family apart. His mother is
overburdened by medical debts. Dex and his mother are now living paycheck to
paycheck. They had been on the verge of being homeless.
When Dex and Viv cross paths, there is a
special chemistry between them but there is also a conflict that appears to be
irredeemable. I will let you wonder… will love blossom between them?
The read is addictive. It explores many societal issues. I think the roots of all our problems are in this novel. With wisdom and empathy the author exposes various social issues that have shaped our present. Those relevant issues are threaded into the plot in a way that appears to be effortless. We become fully invested in the story as we delve into the intimate thoughts of the characters, dealing with their emotions, hurdles and challenges.What does it mean to be in somebody else's shoes? Dive into this captivating novel with an open mind and heart. Share it with others.
This magical book gives you the opportunity to take an
introspective look at out present. It shines a light on the multiple ways in
which the environment is intertwined with social issues and the economy, and how it is at stake under the abuse
of corporate and political power. The novel also exposes the ways in which prejudices undermine and
oppress groups of people.
There is something about Viv that I did not like. She has a hunting background. She used to hunt for food, and I did not like that the author seems to craft a stereotype out of Maeve's mother because she chooses to eat healthy. (The author seems to make fun of Maeve's mother and I found it annoying). Maeve is Viv's best friend.
Reading this book is an immersive experience. The settings are vivid, the characters are so realistic that I would love to meet them in-person, and I enjoyed the suspense and intrigue that build up throughout the novel.
Fault Lines brought tears of joy at the end. I
can’t wait to read more books by this talented author.
Nora Shalaway Carpenter’s note at the end includes this reflection:
“Life is
messy and beautiful, sometimes triumphant and at other moments so full of pain
and inequity that it can feel difficult to breathe. But there is magic here,
too, slipped in among the ordinary, and often not in any of the ways we might
expect. We are allowed to care about many things simultaneously, and to fight
fiercely for them…”
As I write this post, I want to remind my
readers that we are celebrating National Park Week. Let’s take the time to find
out more about what the current situation of National Parks is. Let’s take the time
to become aware, to reflect and to be inspired to do something. Knowledge is
power, so find out more about what is going on... I am offering a number of
relevant links to do so.
Let's do our part to protect them.
Relevant
links:
https://www.npca.org/articles/7044-parks-are-being-dismantled-before-our-very-eyes
https://environmentamerica.org/center/resources/the-costs-of-fracking/
https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2025/04/what-does-trump-2-0-mean-for-the-environment
