ONE WHOLE AND PERFECT DAY by Judith Clarke

This is one of those terrific stories where we get to take a glimpse into the lives of several people, and at the very end we see how their lives have intertwined with one another. Lily is the “responsible one” in the family, always having to pick up the slack for her overworked mother and her brother Lonnie, the dreamer. After her grandmother announces plans for a birthday celebration for Pop, Lily’s grandfather, it becomes critical to Lily that this one day be completely perfect for her loving but often troubled family.

Reading this book was like a breath of fresh air. After a few chapters in, I saw that all of the characters were going to play a role in the ending of the book. Another interesting point is that the story was set in Australia. I enjoyed reading about how Lonnie and Clara had to go to their nine o’ clock “tute” (tutorial). Many young people can easily relate to Lily’s fears about Pop’s latent racism. Overall, I really loved this book. How many of us have dreamed of having one perfect day? I was glad that Lily was able to experience hers.

REPOSSESSED by A.M. Jenkins

Kiriel is a demon, although he prefers the term “Fallen Angel.” He never lived on earth; he has resided in Hell ever since being kicked out of Heaven. Kiriel really wants to be noticed by “the Creator,” and he wants even more to know what it is like to be human. After secretly observing a boy named Shaun for some time, Kiriel seizes his opportunity when Shaun steps in front of a speeding cement mixer. Just as Shaun’s soul leaves his body, Kiriel slips into the body and jerks the foot back…and the adventures begin. Kiriel knows that he will be found out soon and forced to return to Hell. In the meantime he resolves to experience as much of being human as possible and learns many things along the way.

The thing I liked about this book is that Kiriel is likable; he is far from pure evil. He is a guy who made a bad choice a long time ago. It is interesting to view Shaun’s world through Kiriel’s eyes. His appreciation of and fascination with his surroundings is almost childlike. He sees many things that Shaun and been unable to understand, such as how much his younger brother Jason needs a friend. This was a humorous book, with an important lesson to not take life for granted.