Doon by Carey Corp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It was such a pleasure to step into the magic that is Brigadoon again – I was a lead in the musical of that name in high school, and putting on the play still stands out as special beside all the other productions I did, simply because of the draw of the story, I think. Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon have captured the essence of that magic well here, and I was taken in immediately by their depiction of the two worlds, modern and ancient.
The characters took me in, too. Veronica and Mackenna are just regular teenagers, with worries that seem so big. Then strange things begin to happen to Veronica. She’s haunted by a mysterious boy who appears at the strangest times. Mackenna’s suggestion that they spend the summer in Scotland gives Veronica an out from a less than supportive family life, and she feels compelled to go there anyway, in case her visions might just be real…
While the adventures were compelling, there was one aspect of the book which prevents me from giving it higher marks. It’s too long. Normally I don’t balk at length. It never gets in my way personally as a reader. As a library media specialist who serves students’ interests, though, I fear that this one won’t grab the ones I fervently want it to grab. At just over 400 pages, it definitely took some stamina to get through, much as I enjoyed it. The readers I have in mind might not have the patience for the agonizing unfolding of the romances the two main characters pursue for what seems like an eternity. This disappoints me, because while I will definitely highly recommend it to my starry-eyed students who love a good romantic read, I’m not sure they’ll get how good it is.
That said, it was an engaging take on an old story and I had lots of fun getting lost in Brigadoon again, in a delightful escape from the busy-ness of the modern world.
The Best of It 