ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
OLDER FICTION
Mahoney, Rebecca

The Valley and the Flood

368 pp. | Penguin/Razorbill | February, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-593-11435-3 $18.99
(2) YA Rose's visit to the parents of her best friend Gaby, who died a year earlier in a car accident, doesn't go as planned, and the distraught teen sets off alone into the desert, where her car breaks down and the story takes a series of fantastical twists and turns. Most improbable and disturbing is a nearby radio tower that broadcasts the last voicemail Rose ever received from Gaby. Rose's mission to repair her car and track down the radio station takes her to Lotus Valley, a tiny town that time forgot, where she finds herself at the center of a contentious prophecy that spells doom for the local residents. Rose, who is wracked with grief and has been diagnosed with PTSD, must face her losses as well as the "flood of memories" from the vividly drawn cast of townsfolk, which threatens to engulf the town; the Flood communicates directly with Rose. Mahoney keeps the tone lively and engaging while addressing some serious and weighty topics. She reveals much of Rose's story through flashbacks, anxiety triggers, and remembered conversations with her therapist. The narrative twists and surreal touches may confound some readers, but the storytelling is strong and cinematic, and well worth going along with for the ride.
Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

RELATED 

OLDER FICTION

What Beauty There Is
by Anderson, Cory
OLDER FICTION

Between Perfect and Real
by Stoeve, Ray
OLDER FICTION

Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good
by Werlin, Nancy
OLDER FICTION

Home Is Not a Country
by Elhillo, Safia
OLDER FICTION

All Our Hidden Gifts
by O'Donoghue, Caroline
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?