I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

I tried to get into this book, but tunnels, caves...too claustrophobic to read. Then there is the body issue. Smacked of foot binding, corsets, gymnasts, etc... I think there is way to much attention paid to body image these days that to make the skinniest, more starving girls elites. Just seems a bad message for a - is this a Ya book??? No thanks. I'll pass. I'm sure it will find it's audience though.

What first drew me to A Single Stone was the fact that this is essentially a younger version of the YA and Adult dystopian novels that I love. I was so excited to see how Meg McKinlay would bring Jena's sheltered world to life, and how she would address the society as a whole. I won't lie, I had pretty high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it failed to reach quite as high as my expectations were set.

To start with the positives, I can say that Jena's society is fairly well laid out in this book. The reader quickly understands that the mountain, and the harvest, are the focal point of life in this small society. Status in Jena's world is based on how much one is able to contribute to the community, and that means that the girls who can descend into the mountain are the elite. I loved this concept, and especially loved the fact that Jena's backstory didn't allow her to be too proud. Her life hasn't been an easy one, and so Jena takes nothing for granted. Which is important in this story.

What I missed, mainly the further I got into the book, was real character development. Although Jena definitely learns the dark secrets that her society hides, she never really grows as a person. I think, and this is completely my opinion, that the lack of real dialogue in this book is really what sets it back. We see what Jena thinks. We see what she does. We never see her really stand up for herself, or her beliefs, though. It made really falling in love with her as a character, and therefore with the characters around her, a lot more difficult.

In fact, I think what this book really needed was just more time. More pages to bring Jena into her own. More opportunity for interactions with her fellow community members and, especially, more time for adventure in the mountain. The book flew by, but I was left at the end feeling like something was missing. I loved the concepts presented in this book, but I feel like they weren't as fleshed out as they could be. So I'm sitting at a three star rating.

For the audience intended, I think the subject matter was a little too intense, often describing the girls as malnourished and emaciated. The story is interesting, but beyond my reach for a science fiction novel (I can't seem to overlook the fact that mica doesn't actually burn...).

This story has all of the claustrophobic fear of an underground thriller laced well with a story of a lost survivor society who worship a mountain and must do unspeakable things to aid in their society. For the characters, life is grim and regimented by their dependence on the mountain for their very lives. They send their children into the mountains many cracks and crevices to harvest a mineral that provides them what heat and light they need to survive through the mountain's harsh winters. Still, there are regular sacrifices that come from such a life, and the main character in this, Jena, has sacrificed more than most.

She wonders about the family that she lost as a young child, but also wonders if a world outside the mountain exists. When Jena uncovers some unexpected truths about her society's leadership and what they are resorting to in order to preserve their way of life, her loyalties are torn. Meanwhile, the family that she lost may not be as gone as she thought. Through hard-learned lessons and in response to the changes that are happening all around her, Jena takes on a new mission to uncover the hidden reality of life in the mountain.

With consistent intensity, thought-provoking twists, and a lot of gray area to sort through about the best route to follow, this one will leave readers reeling. Might be better to leave this in the young adult crowd, as it might not be right for the elementary grade crowd.

Many years ago an natural disasters left people stranded on one side of the mountain. Over time traditions and survival have created a society where girls are prized for petiteness so they can go into the mountain, 7 at a time, and find the mica that is used for heating, light, and cooking. But is that all there is? And are the Mothers, the guardians of their society, manipulating births to produce even smaller offspring. Jena has always done the right thing and is the leader of her line but when one of her girls dies and she discovers some of the Mothers' secrets she begins to question everything she has been taught.

This was really good. I loved the feel of this society and how it grew out of desperation and tradition. I loved how things came together at the end.

Great adventure story. Loved the messages taught throughout the book as well. This book is a definite

A well-written and enjoyable book, I am glad I requested this title and will be more than happy to pass the title along to my fellow library purchasers.

It is sad and intriguing how the world in which we grow up seems normal. We often do not question norms and expectations, nor do we question the history and wisdom passed down from our elders. Jena was born into a village, isolated from the rest of the world by a ridge of mountains; she was born into a world where girls are a prized possession whose bodies are manipulated from a young age to be slim and slender to fit through the cracks in the mountain. You see, dear reader, the village experiences barren, freezing winters, harsh snow with no other viable sources of heat, so the only way to survive is to mine enough mica to heat their houses and cook their food. There seems to be no other way. Physically molded from a young age and taught how to starve herself to stay thin, Jena follows in her mother's footsteps. She leads the team of girls into the mountain to harvest the mica, bending and contorting their bodies to move nimbly though the narrow crevices, pushing deeper and deeper into the heart of the mountain. Jena never questioned this as the way things should be... as the way things are supposed to be. That is, until liquid from a brown bottle brings back memories of her own mother's premature labor which ended in her death. The smell is unmistakable, and as Jena begins to investigate, she begins to question all she holds dear. Is someone in the village behind the premature births? Was someone at fault for her mother's death? She has her suppositions; however, what she eventually finds will be bigger than even she imagined.

A Single Stone is a story about questioning the status quo and finding freedom in the truth. It is slightly reminiscent of Lois Lowry's The Giver in the extent to which the leaders manipulate the village and how Jena seeks to expose the truth when she finds it. In a world where girl's bodies are manipulated for the sake of spelunking, the heroine finds that many of her assumptions were wrong. I enjoyed the unique premise/setting of a village that relied on the girls who harvested the mica, whose bodies were covered with scrapes and scars from their many forays into it's depths. I was drawn in as I read about their forays into the heart of the mountain. These girls brought hope to their village. Jena's investigations lead her to find something so precious and dear, ultimately finding hope through a single stone.

A unique story of a mountain village, trapped and isolated generations ago by a Rockfall. The survivors spend the year preparing for the harsh and deadly winters. The key is mica, used for safe heat. 7 girls, the line, harvest the mica which is then shared based on the "Mothers" journals.

An interesting story that is different and well thought out. Really enjoyed.

A Single Stone follows a girl named Jena, the leader of a special line of girls that travel deep into the mountain in search of mica, a mineral that they use as a light source as well as to keep their homes warm through harsh winters. The mica is strictly rationed and can be the difference between life and death for some families.

The book’s strength was in its world building and the author’s use of language to create a village that felt real. The characters were all decently written and I found myself caring about the girls in the line. Their descent into the mountain had a feel of mystery to it, as if they were returning to nature. The village is enclosed in a valley surrounded by mountain. Food and other necessities are scarce, winters are rough, and the village felt just as claustrophobic as the crevices in the mountain. I really enjoyed the atmosphere created in this novel and was drawn into the story immediately.

I was horrified to learn about the way of life in the village and the lengths that they went to maintain the line. The village worshiped the mountain and the natural world, yet the way they measured and schemed ways to obtain smaller and smaller children was a subversion of nature. I felt anxious and even a little outraged as Jena uncovered the Mothers’ secrets. Then as the mystery began to unravel well… It all got dropped. Nothing ever actually comes of that story line, which was sort of disappointing. In fact the entire second half of the novel was sort of a let down.

Sure, I got the sort of ending I wanted. The twist about Jena’s past can be guessed long before the big reveal, and I don’t know. The story just sort of fell flat, which is a shame because it held so much promise.

In terms of the writing itself, the narration shifted back and fourth between Jena in the present day, Jena’s past, and also to a mysterious girl named Lia. It was a little confusing at first, since we know nothing about who Lia is, where she’s from, or even if she is from the same time period. Lia’s side of the story adds some mystery, though switching back and fourth between narrators and time lines was a little bit disjointing. The reasoning for the constant jumps in narration boils down to the author using the tried and true tactic of withholding information from the reader. We get glimpses of Lia or a memory from Jena’s past that eventually add up to something big in the end, but until then it’s nothing more but little scraps which can be frustrating for a reader.

I’ve also been wondering still about the plausibility of certain elements in the story, which also ruins things a bit I know. I just can’t help but wonder, how much light and warmth can mica actually provide? I’ve found some information about some variations of mica glowing and used for insulation but the book is vague about how it is actually used for heat. The village takes great measures to make sure that mica is never near fire because it is highly flammable and would burn out too quickly, but everything that I’ve read about mica is that it is actually fireproof and can withstand very high temperatures. Everything in the book relies on the mica harvest, even more important than food, and it just seemed so unusual to me.

Even though the mica plot line is a little bit shaky and the ending was rushed and too convenient, I can forgive it because it was genuinely an entertaining and engaging read.

This was a short but well-written novel and I really enjoyed reading it. It was layered and complex in a quiet way. It was subtle yet transparent as it showed you Jena's life, the secrets of the village, and the dangers of the mountain. The writing was intelligent and thought-provoking, which I really wasn't expecting it. I found myself rereading sections of this story, not because it was hard to understand but because it was just so powerful! This novel may have been targeted for teens and middle schoolers, but I can easily see adults reading and enjoying this story! Don't be fooled by its deceptive slowness; this novel picks up the pace and the events roll out fairly quickly! A great story, and I'm really glad to have gotten a chance to read it!

Meg McKinlay’s eloquent prose carries A Single Stone

A SINGLE STONE, by Meg McKinlay, Candlewick, March 14, 2017, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 10 and up)

Sometimes you read a book, and you can’t help thinking about another. A Single Stone, by Meg McKinlay, is one such book.

Jena’s people depend on the mountain and the mica it provides for survival. Long ago, an earthquake trapped the people who were mining the mountain in a small mountain valley. Of the people who were inside the mountain when it crumbled, only the women survived. Since then, the Mothers have been the leaders and protectors, and the members of the line have been the providers.

Jena is the leader of the line — seven girls who work together, squeezing and contorting through the mountain’s tunnels to harvest mica. Mica provides heat and light to the villagers throughout the year, and most importantly during the winter when heavy snows trap them inside for months. Being chosen as a line member is an honor, but it comes with sacrifice — years of denying girls food and wrapping their limbs to keep them small.

No work is more important, yet Jena has a sneaking suspicion that all is not as it seems. Babies are being born earlier and smaller than ever before. Winter is coming fast, and the foundation on which Jena’s life has been built is crumbling.

A Single Stone very much reminds me of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy. The similarities between the mica and linder are obvious, as is the story of a girl who defies what’s expected of her. But those aren’t really why the one makes me think of the other. Rather, it’s Meg McKinlay’s quiet, but determined, prose that evokes the same feel.

Jena’s relationship with the mica, her respect for it and understanding of it is integral to McKinlay’s narrative. And Mckinlay’s ability to not only paint a picture but draw in the reader as well is magnificent. More than once, I felt myself squeeze between two rocks, heart beating fast as I worked my way through all the angles. The burst of relief when making it through is euphoric.

A Single Stone does start off a bit slowly, but it’s definitely worth pushing through the first bit for what comes later. My one other complaint is that the outcome was clearly telegraphed long before you reach it. While I would have preferred less predictability, it’s not a big enough problem to deter me from highly recommending this book.

I won a copy of this book from Netgalley and gave it to my daughter to read. Here is her review:
"My mom won this book from Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher.

I am 11 1/2 years old, I found the reading level a little bit easy, but good. I found the interest level good (probably for ages 10 -13).

I really liked the whole story. I really liked at the end when Jena found Lia (who is her sister that she thought was dead). I also liked when the line went into the mountain, because I thought it was cool how they went through really small spaces.

I found it a little bit confusing when they talked about the pass, because they didn't really explain it until the end."

This book was utterly enthralling. It defies genre, being neither dystopian, horror, science fiction or realistic fiction, although I did keep trying to pin it down to one of these throughout my reading. The time period is undefined, as is the location - these factors ensure that this book will be appealing to a wide audience for many years. The aspect of the storyline that most fascinated me was the matriarchal society that prized the smallest girls. While this completely frightens me as a parent and woman, the book dealt with it in a very sensitive way, shedding light on the danger of undereating and not being true to body size. I was struck by the focus on childbirth and maternal issues since these are rarely dealt with in middle grade books, but they were a welcome addition. All around, this is a great story that will immediately hook a wide variety of readers.

While this had an interesting premise, I thought the execution was thin, thin, thin. (Pun intended.) I never fully got a sense of any of the characters or setting, and the plot was a bit weak. I didn’t even feel a claustrophobic atmosphere, which disappointed me.

I think perhaps a sparse story/writing was the author’s intent, but that just personally rarely works for me. I needed the story and the characters to be more fleshed out, because as it is, this felt rushed. I actually think this premise would have been fantastic as a short story. For a full-length novel, it doesn’t hold up.

(It’s curious that even in a matriarchy, young girls are still encouraged/forced to physically shape and change and starve their bodies to fit certain standards. This aspect of the story is, unfortunately, skimmed over. I would have liked a more in-depth look here because I think that could be a really insightful comment how harmful and pervasive the patriarchy is in the real world.)