Mistik Lake

Mistik Lake

Written by: Brooks, Martha
ages 14 and up / grades 9 and up

Canadian Library Association YA Book of the Year

In 1981, sixteen-year-old Sally McLean is in a car full of teenagers when it plunges through the ice to the bottom of Mistik Lake. Sally is the only survivor.

Many years later, Sally's teenaged daughter, Odella, is left wondering whether the accident is to blame for her mother's life as a sad alcoholic who eventually abandons her family and flees to Iceland with another man. When Sally suddenly dies in an accident, Odella, her father and her two younger sisters are almost overwhelmed with grief and confusion, until three people provide help and healing in unexpected ways.

Canadian Library Association YA Book of the Year

In 1981, sixteen-year-old Sally McLean is in a car full of teenagers when it plunges through the ice to the bottom of Mistik Lake. Sally is the only survivor.

Many years later, Sally's teenaged daughter, Odella, is left wondering whether the accident is to blame for her mother's life as a sad alcoholic who eventually abandons her family and flees to Iceland with another man. When Sally suddenly dies in an accident, Odella, her father and her two younger sisters are almost overwhelmed with grief and confusion, until three people provide help and healing in unexpected ways.

Published By Groundwood Books Ltd — May 1, 2007
Specifications 224 pages | 5.13 in x 7 in
Supporting Resources
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Excerpt
Written By

MARTHA BROOKS is an award-winning novelist, playwright and jazz singer whose books have been published in Spain, Italy, Japan, Denmark, England, Germany and Australia, as well as in Canada and the United States. She is a three-time winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year, as well as the Ruth Schwartz Award, the Mr. Christie’s Book Award, the Governor General’s Award, and the Vicky Metcalf Award for her body of work. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

Written By

MARTHA BROOKS is an award-winning novelist, playwright and jazz singer whose books have been published in Spain, Italy, Japan, Denmark, England, Germany and Australia, as well as in Canada and the United States. She is a three-time winner of the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year, as well as the Ruth Schwartz Award, the Mr. Christie’s Book Award, the Governor General’s Award, and the Vicky Metcalf Award for her body of work. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

Audience ages 14 and up / grades 9 and up

Winner, CLA Young Adult Book of the Year Award, 2007

Short-listed, McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award, 2007

Commended, NYPL Books for the Teenage List, 2008

Commended, Quill & Quire Books of the Year 2007 List, 2007

Commended, Publishers Weekly Best Books 2007, 2007

Commended, OLA Best Bets - Reading for Young Adults (Fiction), 2007

Commended, CCBC Choices 2008, 2008

Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens 2008, 2008

“...a seductive and emotional five-star novel.” —Sarah's Stars

“...absolutely perfect summer reading...Mistik Lake is magical, an absorbing, surprising story...An intriguing plot and characters that seem to have walked straight out of real life make this novel immensely readable; Brooks's poetic language and wise understanding of the heart make it superb.” —Toronto Star

“...beautifully crafted...An exceptional writer, Brooks once again immerses readers in a fully realized fictional world and leaves them potentially wiser for the experience.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“...elegaic...Brooks doesn't judge the failings of her characters harshly. Rather she lovingly reveals the hidden forces that drive them. This title...demonstrate[s] how we are all shaped by complex motivations that often take us years to understand.” —City Parent (Toronto)

“...expands its exceedingly well-told tale of teenage romance with equally absorbing stories of adults who have played the tricky game of love.” —Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW

“A master storyteller, Brooks has spun a heart-warming and thought provoking tale with characters that we care about. Not only will this novel strike a familiar chord with many readers, but it will also linger in their minds long after they finish the book.” —Winnipeg Free Press

“Brooks' affecting novel explores the weighty legacy of family secrets and cultural heritage...Readers will connect strongly with the teenager's astonished, powerful feelings of first love and her shocked realization that painful family burdens can also be life-changing gifts.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“Brooks captures perfectly the excruciating pain of divorce for children, the ache of older adolescence, the loss of childhood, and the centrality of family love. A must-read on its way to many awards. Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine