The Impossible Destiny of Cutie Grackle by Shawn Stout - 9/10

Cutie, a young girl forced by situation to be largely self-reliant, begins receiving clues from a flock of ravens and must race against the clock to break the mysterious curse that has been plaguing her family for generations.

The magical premise of this story is grounded in the experience of a young girl from some rural Southern town who has had to fight to survive every day with a mentally absent guardian and monthly rations from the local food pantry. Readers are invited to see the world through the eyes of this unlikely heroine, to walk witness not only her fear, hunger, and loneliness, but also her faith, hope, and courage. This book may feel heavy at times, but the power of its message of unexpected strength and growth invites us to re-examine our own approach to the trials we face and to see beauty and hope even when things don't work out quite according to our wishes.