So much focus these days on first pages of mss and I maintain my opinion that it CAN take more than a first page to keep a reader reading and that there’s nothing wrong with that, however,

the first page of THE CURSE OF EELGRASS BOG is the first first page I’ve read in an MG novel (and I read a lot) that secured my instant interest. So well done!

Mary‘s CURSE is intriguing, suspenseful, boundaries-pushing, well-plotted and her characters are easily recognizable/believable. I so appreciate Mary’s use of classical fairytales, spinning tradition with contemporary mores. Her powers of description and ability to evoke empathy from the reader for ALL major characters, even when some behave badly, make CURSE a satisfying and intriguing read.

Keep an eye on Mary Averling! She has more books coming out.

Yours in supporting authors,

PB