Molly's Cue

by Alison Acheson

Overview

Molly’s Cue is a story of growing up only to discover that things aren’t the way you always thought they were, but that, with persistence, there’s more than one way to reach for the stars. For always and EVER, Molly Gumley has wanted to be on stage, has imagined and dreamed of life as an actor. That’s because Grand, her grandmother, filled Molly with colourful stories of theatre life, and with her faith in what she saw as Molly’s destiny. But as Molly enters high school, Grand is no longer in her life. She’s left to pursue the dream on her own. High school, with a real stage and a real drama teacher, is the next step to Molly and Grand’s shared dream -- life is finally going to begin. Molly auditions for a school play, certain of the lead role. She is going to shine! But then she runs into a roadblock that threatens everything, making her question her lifelong dream. With a cast of interesting and unforgettable supporting characters, Molly’s Cue will appeal to all young adults trying to find their place in life’s stage. Humourous and poignant, Alison has created a compelling novel that will appeal to many.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781550507102
Publisher:	Coteau Books
Publication date:	07/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	13 - 15 Years

About the Author

Alison Acheson has published two teen novels, Molly's Cue and Mud Girl, which was a finalist for CLA’s Book of the Year. She's also released a YA novel, The Half-Pipe Kidd and the juvie chapter book Thunder Ice, a finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award, and the Manitoba and Red Cedar (BC) young readers choice awards. She has also published a picture book, Grandpa’s Music—A Story About Alzheimer’s. Alison Acheson has taught in the creative writing program at the University of British Columbia, and continues to teach and write in the town of Ladner, BC, where she lives with her spouse and three sons.

Editorial Reviews

"A great read for teens who may be encountering speed bumps on the road of life...Readers will enjoy journeying with Molly as she misses her cue, time and again, only to finally find the right path and begin to develop her own identity."

Canadian Teacher

"The relationships in Molly's Cue are real, gritty, and teens who enjoy stories of friendship and families will enjoy this book. A sure hit with teens who are into drama and theatre, Acheson's novel illustrates the ups and downs of having a dream, struggling to realize it, and coming to terms with disappointment if things don't quite work out. Molly's struggles to accept change and feelings of unrealized expectations will resonate with teens who are going through transition in their own lives. Recommended."

CM Magazine

"Molly's Cue fills a niche in children's literature similar to the one Jane Austen's Emma (1815) fills for adults. Like Emma, Molly has it all: she is confident, talented, and sure of her future. Like Emma, Molly needs to learn to respect others for their abilties...and to understand how she can best contribute to the world around her...The characters are heartwarmingly real; their troubles are expressed sympathetically, in a manner that is not overwhelmingly angst-inducing...A positive and strong voice for the artistic child reader to hear."

Resource Links

In this leisurely paced up-and-down novel about the cross-currents among artistic creation, artifice, reality and responsibility, a bad case of stage fright causes an aspiring actress to reassess her perspective about herself and her family. Molly Grumley, 14, has always been enthralled with the stories her grandmother, Grand, told about stars and stage life. It comes as quite a blow, then, when she learns after Grand's death that the great lady had had no personal contact with the famous people about whom she spoke so engagingly. Suddenly—and not all that credibly—Molly's confidence evaporates, and she finds herself unable to perform. As Molly endeavors to get back in the game, her best friend, a gifted sculptor, struggles to come to terms with her single mother's pregnancy, while Molly's uncle, a photographer who eschews responsibility, tries to grow up. Intermittently interesting but stuffed with too much thematic material, the story's strength is the way the trapped adults articulate poignant truths about their lives; its weakness is that the children feel unreal, more vessels for the author's ideas than fully developed characters. (Fiction. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews