So Much Potential by Margaret J. McMaster

Andy Towell's dream of becoming a commercial fisherman is jeopardized when a co-worker goes missing.

Teen fiction Ages 12+ (Hi-Lo)

Paperback, 91 pages

Published July 8th 2013 by Mansbridge Dunn Publishers 

 

 Kristine's Review: 

 

Please keep in mind that this book is marketed as teen fiction (12 and up) and I am way beyond that in years. I do have children (girls) that are 12 and 14 so I tried to put myself in their shoes when reading and reviewing this book.

This book is short consisting of only 91 pages (large print) and is written in language that is very easy to follow and understand. It is a quick story about a young man who has been accepted to medical school but would rather be a fisherman and the mysterious disappearance of his co-worker. The story itself is cute and the mystery is interesting.

Although the story is about a teenage boy that is at a University entrance age I feel that the book would appeal more to a pre-teen or tween audience. My 12yr old is in the seventh grade and has independent reading where she has to read an appropriate novel of her choice. This book would probably be perfect for the boys in her class to read. My 14yr old is in high school (and an avid reader) and would feel that it did not have enough romance, angst and drama for her liking.

In my opinion this book would be perfect for those that are just starting to come out of the younger genre and beginning to read at a more grown up level. Even with the age of the main character and the content of the book I feel that it would appeal to 6th- 8th grade children and not much older.

About the author

Canadian author, Margaret J. McMaster, published her first book of middle-grade fiction, Carried Away on Licorice Days, in 2008. It was nominated for three literary awards: the Canadian Library Association's 2009 Book of the Year for Children Award, the 2010/2011 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, and the 2011 Rocky Mountain Book Award.
In 2009 she started writing the Babysitter Out of Control! series of early chapter books. These amusing, fast-paced adventures include: Babysitter Out of Control!, Looking for Love on Mongo Tongo, The Improbable Party on Purple Plum Lane, What Happened in July (selected for Best Books for Kids & Teens - Spring 2013), and, The Sinking of the Wiley Bean. She is a past contributor to the Canadian Children's Annual and her creative non-fiction piece, After All These Years, was shortlisted for the 2006 CBC Literary Award. So Much Potential is her first novel for teens. 

Connect with Margaret online

Website-  http://mansbridgedunnpublishers.blogspot.com

Twitter- @LicoriceDays

Goodreads-  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3521423.Margaret_J_McMaster