The Secret Deepens

Cat Peters is back! She's feistier and more enjoyable than ever. Follow Cat and company back to Fairy to rescue friends who've become hostages in a war between two ancient Fairy Lords. Who said that fairies were always sweet, spineless beings that have nothing better to do than grant human wishes? Not! What delighted me most as a grownup reader was how this book tapped into the kind of girl I truly was--someone who could be stubborn and determined to get her way--but who also cared deeply about others. Cat is a hero who usually works with an ensemble cast. She leads but she also delegates. This is important for kids to understand even heroes can't do everything by themselves. I love how the Grim Hill books bond younger people and older people together towards common goals. In this book, the adults weren't the most active participants. However, the tendency of pre-teens to overlook the kids whom they once were plays out in how Cat underestimates what's going on with her little sister Sookie. I was hooked from the start of the argument between Cat and a boy over soccer. I love how Ms. Dreeble came to the rescue and her reciting the names of the unknown women scientists to the same boy who insisted on the superiority of men in sports and science. I flipped through pages leading up to the game between the girl's and boy's teams and agonized with Cat at the expertly handled reversal. I cheered when Skeeter stood up to his snotty older brother and preferred being Sookie's magic act assistant. Boys should be encouraged to understand they don't have to be the ones calling the shots all the time. I love how boy characters are often helpers in the Grim Hill books. This reminds me why I have avoided the Harry Potter books. I wanted to read about a girl being the center of attention only because popular female heroes still seem to be the minority. The Grim Hill books are extremely realistic even though these books have fantastic elements. Sometimes you don't win where you think you should despite your best efforts and later you win where it really matters. Sometimes the boy you like doesn't see you and the boy who does like you can't get over himself enough to stop being annoying. And the ending of Grim Hill The Secret Deepens let me know that Sookie her new friend Skeeter will give Cat new reasons to rise to the challenge of straddling the world of Fairy and the regular world. I would give this book to my daughter or any young person who needs a cool, female hero to read about. Thanks for another thrilling installment. Bring on the next sequel!