Sixteen-year-old Katla has just moved from Los Angeles to the sticks of Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, she learns to her horror that she’s a member of an ancient order of women who decide to whom certain babies will be born. Add to that Wade, the arrogant football star whom Katla regrettably fooled around with, and Jack, a gorgeous farm boy who initially seems to hate her. Soon Katla is having freaky dreams about a crying infant and learns that, as children, she and Jack shared a near-fatal, possibly mystical experience. Can Katla survive this major life makeover and find a dress for the homecoming dance? Drawing from Norse mythology and inspired by The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, debut author Wendy Delsol conceives an irreverent, highly entertaining novel about embracing change and the (baby) bumps along the way.
Stork
follows the story of Katla who has recently moved from California to Minnesota. As well as having to adjust to the temperature difference and small town life (and no Starbucks!) she is also dealing with her parents divorce and her mother’s new boyfriend. If that wasn’t enough for her to deal with, Katla is then inducted into the Stork Society – a group largely made up of seemingly eccentric elderly women. The Stork Society’s job is to decide which souls (ie babies) go to which mother.Before starting Stork, I thought it sounded like a really interesting idea and it turned out to be so. There’s an element of fantasy to the story and the whole concept is something I’ve not read about before. It certainly made a change to all the usual vampire stuff that there’s so much of at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I love vamps but it’s nice to read about something completely different (but still fantasy). There’s also a whole bunch of twists and turns throughout the book that aren’t predictable beyond “there’s something going on there” or “[insert name here] is a bit dodgy”.
The book is really well written with just the right amount of description so you can visualise things but still rely on you own imagination a little. The characters are really likable as well. Katla is a strong female lead with just a touch of vulnerability that makes her realistic. Jack grows from offhanded to adorable but there’s an air of mystery about him so you’re not quite sure what he’s about for most of the book.
I really enjoyed reading this book and will certainly be looking out for more by the same author. A sequel would be fab!
