My Never Ending List

Where was Lassie? Lassie always helps people in difficult situations and she definitely was in such a situation right now. She believed that no one was going to save her, she believed that the horrific smell that filled her small space was the smell of death and that it came from the misfortunes of others before her, and she also believed that she was going to die.   Kammie’s thoughts are all over the place as she contemplates what led her to be stuck inside the well. These thoughts are mingled with hallucinations which added imagination and drama to the storyline. As Kammie life is on hold and her mind is racing with erratic thoughts, three girls watch from above, their leisurely pace and jeering remarks add frustration to Kammie’s world.   Kammie knew these girls were not the group she wanted to belong to, for popularity also meant cruelty yet here she was, stuck in a well while the girls looked down at her from above. The sky above changes color as the day wears on, Kammie’s thoughts become usual and the girls walk away promising to return. The oxygen is quickly vanishing all the while Kammie begins to slide deeper inside the well.

Mean girls and bullying, their taunting and their deliberateness to stretch out Kammie experience inside the wall frustrated me. I was waiting for justice to be served on these girls. As they watched from above, I hoped that someone would come upon the scene and witness what they were doing but it didn’t occur like that. These mean girls continued to taunt her and waste precious time and when they left, I was impatient and nervous for the outcome. Kammie’s reflections in the well appeared quickly, they were things that were important to her or images that had stuck with her over the years. They showed the true Kammie. I didn’t find the story suspenseful but I felt calmness as I read it. As Kammie stood paralyzed stuck between the walls of the well, she knew who she was, she was figuring out the missing pieces of her life.   Her obsession with goats and coyotes put a smile on my face and the ending was not what I expected. I’m torn between 3.5 stars and 4 stars. I wanted more closure at the end of the novel but I did like Kammie’s random thoughts, the authenticity of the bullying and Kammie as a character, for I think others will be able to identify with her, so based on this information, I will give it 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for supplying me a copy of this novel to read. This review is my own opinion.