Customer Reviews

Misfit McCabe

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Misfit McCabe sucks the reader into young Katie McCabe's life as she transitions from her normal, every day life into a new town full of new people. The pace is quick, but I was never left behind for a moment wondering what was happening. Truly a fast, satisfying read. LK Gardner-Griffie writes fluid prose with very few hiccups along the way. The characters in the story are so real, though the mundane actions they take carry weight.

I had trouble settling into the story and noticed a few awkward phrases, but after the first few pages, I was hooked. Katie McCabe is a troublemaker, and she knows it. What sets her apart though, is that she doesn't mean to make a mess of things: it just happens. The story starts fast, like a jump into a cool lake. Katie is smoking and drinking with her best friend Timmy out in a shed.

Gardner-Griffie shows us Katie at her weakest and strongest. Katie does not get away with anything she does, and yet I cheered on almost all of her decisions, though as bad as some were, it felt good to see her stand up to a bully--and in this case the bully isn't some low brow jock, an interesting twist. Katie McCabe, not living up to the traditions of her family name, doesn't know what she's in for when she starts a ripple through the town with her arrival.

Katie is faced with tough choices, and she has to mature rapidly in her ever-changing world. She is dumped from the hands of her frustrated, loving (and sick) father, to her unsuspecting Uncle Charley. Throughout the book Katie zips from one emotion to the next. One minute I was jubilant, the next, I wanted to cry, and right after, I wanted to punch someone: I felt like a teenager again.

This story isn't for those who want to read fluff. Misfit McCabe deals with real problems that teens (and adults) can learn from. Katie makes mistakes, and she pays for them, and importantly she learns. Her father and her uncle make mistakes as well: as does her cousin Sarah. Gardner-Griffie lets them make their mistakes, and we, as the reader, benefit from the choices they make and how they right their wrongs; when they make a good choice after learning, I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding!

What I enjoyed most from Misfit McCabe is a peek into what it is like to be a teen again--what the problems feel like, the emotional quicksilver--and the desire to read more. I love a book that pulls me through, and Misfit McCabe does exactly that; I was never dragged too fast, nor waiting for something else to happen.

Would I recommend this book: yes. Wholeheartedly. I will be ordering Nowhere Feels Like Home, and anxiously awaiting the rest of the series. LK Gardner-Griffie is an excellent writer who knows her audience: teens who want real substance, real characters, accessible language, and above all, a darn good story.

You all know the drill... teen protagonist makes a mistake, suffers the consequences, learns a tidy life lesson and they all live happily every after. This isn't that book. Misfit McCabe makes mistakes all right, lots of them. And yes, the consequences flow fast and furiously. Where this book excels is in the life lesson category. Life doesn't always get tidied up in 200 pages. And perhaps, just perhaps, that's the most important lesson of them all.

Katie McCabe has a lot on her plate. Exiled to her Uncle's house for a crime she most definitely committed, she rebels against the McCabe name by being in turns spiteful, petty, vindictive, and vengeful. In other words, she behaves much like a real teenager would in that situation. Life comes at her fast and furious though, and soon she has to deal with the death of her father, his funeral, and other very real-world situations. Throughout the narrative though, we see a good kid who has been dealt a bad hand. In the end we do get to cheer when she comes to terms with her new situation and rises above her own pettiness to show the first signs of maturity.

I enjoyed LK's book from start to finish, it is well written and fast-paced. When my daughter is a little older, I will definitely give her this book to read, first and foremost because it's a good story that doesn't talk down to teens. Nor does it sugar-coat the teen years, any parent of a teenager will see the truth in Katie even if her trevails are more poignant than most. A well written story that can be enjoyed by teens, or people who ever were teens.

I bought Misfit McCabe for my 12 year old daughter to read. I was lucky enough to read it first.

Misfit McCabe is the story of 14 year old Katie McCabe. Katie's mother died when she was very young and her father has his hands full with her mischievous behavior. After Katie and her best friend Timmy burn down a shed, her father sends her to live with his brother Charlie and his family. To make matters worse, Katie's father is ill and is going to the hospital for tests.

Katie does not want to be with Uncle Charlie, his two sons Matt and Mark, and Charlie's niece Sarah. She feels like an outsider in a house full of rules and she plots to make them send her back to her father. To make matters worse, she makes an enemy in record time-- Harvey, Jr. Harvey, Jr.'s father owns the bank and most to the town. Harvey, Jr. wastes no time in throwing this in Katie's face and insulting Katie's family. Katie, not one to back down from a challenge, punches Harvey Jr. in the park-- right in front of 3 football players.

Just as Katie begins to settle into her new home and get a new boyfriend, Tom- one of the football players, she finds out that her father died. With her entire world ripped out from underneath her, Katie struggles to find her place in her new life while struggling to deal with her grief.

I loved this book. Misfit McCabe portrays a 14 year old in accurate light. As the mother of multiple teens, I am qualified to say this. ;-) What I loved about this book is that it was a wonderful story. Although Katie does have a love interest, it is not the entire premise of the book, unlike several book series my 12 year old reads. The true test was whether or not my 12 year old enjoyed the book. She loved it too. She couldn't wait to read book 2 of the series, Nowhere Feels Like Home. My 12 year old cried several times when reading Misfit McCabe, which surprised her. She didn't think a book could affect her that way. It brought up some interesting conversations about being truthful and losing a parent, an experience my daughter could relate to. My daughter has told several of her friends about this book and I have purchased a copy to donate to her school's library.

First things first, in case you are wondering whether I have any relation to the author, I am married to her. She gets the Griffie part of her name from me. I want to also thank Mr. Yarbrough for posting his review of Misfit McCabe because I felt like I couldn't post a review until someone else had. If I posted one first, it would simply have been discounted because "I'm the husband and HAVE to say nice things."

Actually, that's not true. When it comes to writing, LK Gardner-Griffie would rather have an honest assessment than fluff comments like, "I really liked it." Since I'm not much of a reader, I had to ask to read the book while she was working on the final stages of getting it ready for distribution. I'll admit, I asked out of curiosity because I wanted to see what she was spending so much time working on. Well, let me tell you, I read the first chapter that night and had to finish the book the next day. I couldn't put it down.

Misfit McCabe is the story of 14 year old, Katie McCabe and how she handles the circumstances that life has dealt her, as well as the consequences of the choices she has made. When she ends up being sent to live with her uncle and some cousins, Katie struggles with anger about the situation, but doesn't really have too much time to focus on that because she makes an enemy her first day in town. Through a series of one-ups-manship retaliation, the battle between Katie and Harvey Jr. escalates to a dangerous degree and ultimately puts Katie in peril.

Why I think this is a good book? You are drawn into the story from page one, and the action continues throughout the book. It is easy to visualize what is happening and you can connect with the characters no matter what age you are. Katie is dealing with real-life situations that any teenager could be facing and deals with them in a realistic fashion.

When I finished the book, my first thought was what a wonderful Hallmark movie this would make, or when I was younger, an After-School Special (I don't know whether they still make those or not.) That's how clearly the words come to life.

This is a great coming of age story, which is a must read for everyone.

LK Gardner-Griffie is a clever author who has truly embraced the "tween" readers of today with a rambunctious young lady they will certainly relate to. Katie McCabe, the main character, is a rebellious fourteen year old tom girl looking for trouble. And most of the time, she gets exactly what she's looking for!

Timmy Lawrence (I can just hear that name being yelled out the back door by an angry mother!) is Katie's best friend and partner in crime! Right from page one, the author shows you these two are up to no good. They are in a neighbor's shed with a flask of rum to spike their Cokes...and they toast to their adventures in smoking as they light up cigarettes! Like any child, they become entranced by the flame when they start playing with the matches and end up catching the hay in the shed on fire.

Playing with fire, drinking stolen booz, trying cigarettes for the first time...the friendship between Timmy and Katie definitely brought back memories. I can recall the next door neighbor's grand daughter who only visited during the summer. I was always anxious for her arrival, and even more anxious for her departure by the end of the season. She was pure evil!

When she wasn't persuading me to steal eggs or kitchen matches to make magic potions, she was pulling me around the yard in a cardboard box and busting my head on the rocks when the box split open. I seem to recall a collection of Garbage Pail Kid trading cards that also went missing from my room one year shortly after she visited!

More importantly, Katie does not lie about her involvement in the shed burning when her father questions her. Very smart! After all, her father is the town sheriff. He sends Katie to live with his brother, her Uncle Charley who also happens to be very strict. With a house full of cousins, the trouble has just begun. But when Katie starts up a friendship with her older cousin, Sarah, who helps Katie through those "changes of life," Katie really begins to mature and change. But this certainly doesn't happen in a day.

In the meantime there are new friends to make and new enemies. A battle of wits pursues between Katie and and a nasty little snot named Harvey Denton Jr. He's the local banker's son and enjoys letting everyone know it. He also enjoys seeking revenge against Katie. Cheating, lying, stealing...the list goes on and on of obstacles Katie must continue to face, even though she is trying her best to be the better person.

LK GG moves her story along with well versed dialogue and has penned an array of characters who are each interesting and unique in their own way. Her descriptions of the predicaments Katie faces practically on every page are complex (and often seem unfair) to a 14 year old, but provide enough excitement and detail to keep a reader of any age interested.

Despite Katie being a few years younger than my own niece, I plan to purchase a copy of this book for her as she turns 17 this year. There are situations and outcomes here that any teen could (and will) face, and Misfit McCabe is a character who high school readers will relate to and learn from. This book would make an excellent gift for those just about to enter high school and begin that often troublesome phase of life.

Kudos to LK for embracing this age group. Katie McCabe is a character who I hope to visit with again soon!

It is a story with a strong moral storyline, which is that the people who love you will stand by you no matter what. When a rebellious teen gets shipped off to her Uncle and cousins, because she has made one mistake too many, she sets off a string of events that will determine her future and that of the people around her. I think the book is reading material for teens, but perhaps less suited for younger adults. It was pleasant, but stayed a little safe for my liking, because I felt the adults reactions to her attitude and actions were much to marshmallow and honeydew. The storyline of Katie's vengence and the subsequent build up and situation that blows out of control, was well thought out and realistic for our era. Unfortunately lack of boundaries and impulse control makes teenagers violent and dangerous opponents in todays world. I received a free copy of this book for my review.

Many a year has passed since I was a 14 year old year girl so being taken back into the mind of one was a novel experience. And LK Gardner-Griffie does a remarkable job of portraying a teen's thoughts and emotions through Katie's narration. I could so relate to Katie McCabe, and so will teens who read Misfit McCabe, and any adult who (honestly) recalls their teen years. You must remember when you thought your hometown was boring and didn't want to be stuck there your whole life. When you needed so passionately to be seen as an individual and not an extension of your family. When running away when you'd messed up seemed the best option, even though you knew that would result in a worse punishment than if you'd stayed put.

Have you ever looked at your own teen and wondered, why are you so contrary? Just what is in that head of yours?

I couldn't help but like Katie McCabe even though she is about as contrary as a teen can be. The teen years are terribly complex, while they try to cope with emotional and physical changes and conflicting feelings. I think teens who read Misfit McCabe will identify with her.

I won't go into the plot as other reviewers have already outlined it. I will say that in Misfit McCabe, Katie's world is turned upside down and she must learn to live with a terrible loss, learn to accept the solace and friendship she is offered, and is plunged into many difficult and, at times, dangerous situations. Through it all, Katie grows as a person.
Misfit McCabe is beautifully written and Katie is an engaging central character. LK Gardner-Griffie truly understands young teens and takes you into their world, with all their insecurities and uncertainties.

I'm sure that more adventures await Katie, more "growing pains" and more lessons from life, in the coming sequel to Misfit McCabe. I can't wait to read it.