Book Review: Drizzle

Drizzle
By Kathleen Van Cleve
Reviewed by TFK Kid Reporter Brennan LaBrie

Genre: Fiction

Number of pages: 368

What is the basic story line?
The book is about a magical rhubarb farm owned by a farmer and his family. It is a first-person narrative from the perspective of the farmer's 11-year-old daughter, Polly Peabody. The Peabodys are an ordinary family in an extraordinary situation. Their magical farm is a nationwide tourist attraction, featuring chocolate-flavored rhubarb, a lake that no one can drown in, and rain that falls every Monday at 1:00 p.m. The tourists come to witness the rain and to experience the famous "umbrella ride," a 20-story-high spinning swing ride. Life is going great for the Peabody family until one Monday when the afternoon rain stops for the first time in 86 years. The lake, the crops and the family business are at stake. Plus, Polly's cheery 17-year-old brother, Freddy, comes down with a serious illness, and money is needed to help him. Everyone in the family has his or her own theory about this bad turn of events, but only Polly knows that magic is the key, and it's up to her to find a way to save the farm and her brother.

Were the characters believable?
Yes, very much so. In fact, one of the reasons that I liked the book so much was that I could feel just how Polly felt throughout the book, and I could even relate to her mom and dad.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best), how would you rate this book?
I would definitely give this book a 9. It is a great book with drama and action throughout. I was completely hooked and did not want to put the book down. I highly recommend it for anyone who is into magic--or who just wants to read a good book.