Book Review: THE NATURE OF JADE

Author: Deb Caletti
Number of Pages: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: February 27, 2007

"Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, Jade DeLuna is trying her best to stay calm, and visiting the elephants at the nearby zoo seems to help. That’s why Jade keeps the live zoo webcam on in her room, and where she first sees Sebastian.
When she finally meets him, their connection is immediate, and soon Jade is drawn into Sebastian’s life with his son and his grandmother on their Seattle houseboat. Even though the situation is complicated, Jade hasn’t felt this safe in a long time.
Until she learns that Sebastian is hiding a terrible secret. A secret that will force Jade to decide between what is right, and what feels right. . . ."
                                                - Goodreads.com

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed two of Deb Caletti's books before (Wild Roses and The Fortunes of Indigo Skye) so I was very excited to read this one. And I have to say, it totally lived up to my expectations! Jade's fascination with the elephants in the local zoo is a unique character trait, which made the book stand out in a way. This novel is also just SO WELL WRITTEN! Every line speaks out on its own and makes you really think. I loved twists and turns near the end, and even though the ending was a tad bittersweet, I think it complimented the book very nicely. This wouldn't be a good book if everything ended up happily-ever-after.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was that it sort of skipped right over an important conversation with Sebastian and Jade at the end. I kind of had to gather information from the next chapter as to what actually happened. I still only have a fuzzy idea of what happened between Jade and Sebastian. However, other than that, this book was really great and very well worth reading.
My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes!

Yours,
Aceba