LitPick Review
Mckenna O’Dwyer feels different for some reason, but she can’t put her finger on exactly why she feels this way. Things happen to her- like having extremely vivid and frightening nightmares of burning at the stake – but none of the information in the nightmares ever makes sense to her. That is until her seventeenth birthday happens and everything now seems to change for her. She’s feeling things that are odd to her, and both of her dads can’t seem to help her understand what’s happening to her.
Once Mckenna starts pushing her dads for more information regarding her birth mother, who she was told was just a surrogate, her situation turns from confusing to all out chaotic because she finds out that the surrogate story has been just a cover as not to tell Mckenna the full truth. After finding a note her birth father Sean kept, which was written by Abigail, Mckenna’s birth mother, Mckenna wants answers. Her dads explain that Abigail is a mystic of sorts and Mckenna is a Wise One. Not knowing exactly what that means, Mckenna decides it’s time to find out the truth about why her mother left her and just what all the nightmares she’s having are all about. She sets out on a crazy adventure with her new school friend, Nissa, to Ireland, where her mother and father met and lived together for a while. She hopes something or someone will lead her to finding her mother and she will finally have some answers to what it truly means to be a Wise One. Does Mckenna ever find out the truth of why her mother left her and gave her father full custody of her? Does she find her mother in Ireland? What exactly does it mean to be a Wise One?
Opinion:
My very first impression of this story was that it was so multifaceted and had a few storylines going at the same time, but it didn’t confuse me in any way. Each sub-storyline had a purpose and eventually told the full story by intersecting within each other. Mckenna’s story was complex and contained plenty of details to keep the readers eagerly turning the pages for more. I wanted to know why Mckenna’s mom abandoned her at such a young age and just left without a trace just as much as Mckenna wanted to know the truth.
The characters Ms. Anglehart created were extremely believable, and I found myself investing in each one, good or bad, because I knew each one was an integral part of telling Mckenna’s story. I especially loved Nissa and felt that she would be someone Mckenna could truly depend on when she needed someone most. Whenever the girls found themselves in a bind, they were there for each other and I felt they needed each other to grow together and evolve in the story.
One of my most favorite things about reading this story was that the majority of it was set in different locations in Ireland. I love stories based in foreign locales, and I especially look at how the author describes the location to their readers. I can say without a doubt this author didn’t disappoint me at all. Her vivid descriptions literally transported me to different areas of Ireland, and I felt as if I was experiencing the places through my own eyes even though I’ve never had the opportunity to actual travel to Ireland myself. I was right there next to Mckenna and Nissa seeing beautiful Ballycastle, to visiting the faery hills all across Ireland. No matter how big or small the locale, the author did a phenomenal job transporting her readers there.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Wise One and would highly recommend it! Although this story was written for ages 14-18 year olds, I, as an adult, just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next to Mckenna and Nissa. This is book one in the Scottish Scrolls series, and I can’t wait to see what book two has in store for Ms. Anglehart’s readers. Well done!
