Review: The Wishing Pearl by Nicole O’Dell

Olivia Mansfield’s brother has been protecting her, to some degree, from their abusive stepfather. With their mother blissfully in lalaland and her brother off to college, Olivia has no one but her new friends and her beloved oboe to divert her attention. Her new friends are leading her down the path of drinking and partying, but Olivia doesn’t much care. She can’t see any reason to change her life until the unthinkable happens.

Suddenly Olivia is face to face with the realities her choices have brought her, and she voluntarily checks into a Teen Challenge program at Diamond Estates in Colorado. But even though she desires to make a new beginning–most of the time–huge obstacles need to be overcome, not only for her, but for her mother.

I’ll admit to being extremely biased. Nicole O’Dell is a close friend and critique partner of mine. But if you’re a teen or know a teen, you need this book. The Wishing Pearl is a strongly written novel that will reach into teens’ lives and show them hope. Okay, so that’s my opinion. Here’s one of the reviews posted on Amazon by someone who doesn’t know Nicole:

I was so totally lost in this story that I just couldn’t stop reading! The characters were so well developed, the story so well written, the ups and downs and twists and turns were phenomenal. The writing was so descriptive that I could picture clearly in my mind’s eye, Diamond Estate perfectly. I was so engrossed in each of the girl’s stories and friendships that I felt like I was living on a cot in the room the four girls shared together. I felt that close to them. Although this was originally written as a young adult novel, it is also great reading for any age. At 368 pages it only took me a few hours to buzz through it because it was that good!!! Be sure to pick up a copy as this is one story you won’t forget.
~ Louise Jolly Book Bag Lady

Nicole O’Dell is the mother of six–including three-year-old triplets! She’s the host of Teen Talk Radio, a weekly program with special guests and topics of interest to teens, and the author of six Scenarios for Girls books plus this new Diamond Estates series for older teen girls. The second novel, The Embittered Ruby, will be out in a few months. Nicole loves to speak to teens and parents at conventions and churches. She has several nonfiction books coming out in 2012 attempting to bridge the gap between parents and teens. Not only that, but she’s one of the authors whose novella will appear in Rainbow’s End anthology along with my story, Topaz Treasure (due out in May 2012 from Barbour Publishing).

I received a copy of this book from the author as an acknowledgment of the part I played in helping bring this novel into being!

BONUS!! To win a copy of The Wishing Pearl OR some fabulous prizes, including a BRAND NEW Kindle Touch loaded with all Nicole’s fiction, check out this post for all the ways to enter. Hurry up, though. I’m already ahead of you by posting a review here on the blog today and by retweeting several of Nicole’s tweets about the book!