Liberty Lane is a modern-day Esther, who’s about to take on the Royal Crown Singing Competition, peer pressure, a bully, and a few fears along the way.
I have to admit this girl got to me. I’m proud of her, cheered her on, and questioned her timing a time or two. I think you’ll enjoy reading her story and getting to know her. The biblical parallels are very well done, and yet it’s still very much its own story!
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About the Book
Book: Liberty Lane and the One-Girl Rebelution
Author: Shaylene King
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Release date: December 31, 2020
American Idol meets the bible in this modern retelling of the book of Esther creatively re-imagined for a younger generation
Sir Frederick Preparatory School’s Royal Crown competition is only the biggest singing competition on planet earth! So, when Liberty Lane O’Shea, is catapulted into the singing competition to compete for the coveted crown, it’s a dream come true.
Her dreams are dashed when she meets a beastly contestant who plots to vocally “kill off” anyone who might pose a threat to his rise to fame.
To halt the contestant’s vile ruse, Liberty Lane and her cohorts in crime, best friend Calliope and cousin Lincoln scheme to foil his evil ploys.
When Liberty Lane finds herself blackmailed, she is faced with a tough choice. Will she expose this contestant, divulging a secret of her own, and possibly disqualify herself from the competition? Or, will she watch the other contestants “die” an early Royal Crown competition death, putting the crown surely within her grasp?
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
This is SUCH a cool book!! I couldn’t put it down, and I’m not the ‘intended audience’ by a couple of decades.
Reading a contemporary story that retells a Bible story often helps put you right in the middle of the action, and understand just a bit better what might have been.
And the completely expected (because you know the original story by heart) becomes somewhat unexpected, like the cousin who overhears the poison plot, etc.
The careful addition of current tween/teen struggles (bullying, judging by appearances instead of character, etc) and a ‘reality tv’ experience is very nicely done, and makes this book a must-read for 10-14-year-olds, and anyone who’s ever been one 🙂
I like the fact that the author recommends reading the book of Esther, and comparing the two stories.
She also includes a brief overview of the story herself, which is fine, but I feel like she inserts a few too many opinions and conjectures for my comfort. But she has some good compare and contrast discussion questions at the end.
I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit, and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.
Related
- 6 Esther Novels for Teens and Adults
- Esther Bible Study for Middle Grade Girls and their Moms
- Best Middle Grade Fiction For Christians
- Biblical Parallels in Christian Fiction
About the Author
Shaylene is an anti-bully activist. She speaks to thousands of students each year across the country and internationally, empowering them to live with profound purpose when they learn to combat mean and cultivate kindness.
She is the founder of The Mean Girl Extinction Project a 501(c)3 on-profit created to address the rise in relational aggression among girls. She teaches girls how to not only survive girl world but to make a difference and thrive in girl world. She leads assemblies, workshops and speaks at girls events, camps, clubs and retreats.
Shaylene also teaches and trains the nation’s leading student-led bully prevention program called Safe School Ambassadors. Equipping students with the tools they need to develop self-confidence and practice and promote positive communication with their peers.
Shaylene lives with her husband in Middle Tennessee, sailing the unchartered waters of empty nesting. She enjoys any time she gets to spend with her two grown children who are off exploring the world and living the life God created them for.
More from Shaylene
Liberty Lane and the One-Girl Rebelution was birthed from my love of fairy tales and reading Bible stories to my kids. I have likely read every modern retelling version of classic fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves! One night, while reading a Bible story to my kids at bedtime, I noticed it read a lot like a fairy tale, only it was true. What fun it would be to write a modern retelling of my favorite Bible stories! And, rest is history… or at least a re-telling of history!
This book was a labor of love. It was fun to creatively reimagine what an Esther story might look like today. More important, though, I wanted to create a strong, confident young girl, one who was perfectly imperfect, able to think for herself and stand for what she believed in, even when it was hard—a one-girl “rebel”ution. My hope is that girls might connect with Liberty Lane and feel they too can be comfortable in their own skin and stand by their convictions. When they make a mistake, they can right their wrong, hold their head high, and press on. Speaking the truth is never easy to do, but I want them to know, it will always be the right thing to do.
2 Comments on “Liberty Lane’s Rebel-ution: An Epic Esther In Middle School”
Would be a good book for my niece.
Thanks for the contest.
This would be a good one for my daughter! Thanks for sharing!