Most of the novel concerns secrets and infidelity three separate affairs plus one imagined and their repercussions occupy center stage, and Moriarty skillfully examines desire, longing and forgiveness. Seven-year-old Cassie and 12-year-old Listen are the only non-adult characters in an ensemble cast, and while Listen’s (lonely and unpleasant) experiences in seventh grade do provide the catalyst for many plot developments, she is overshadowed by the adults.

The “Zing Family Secret” necessitates weekly meetings in the garden shed, and the story follows several of the Zings and their associates through the year when the secret (mildly anticlimactic after the immense build-up) finally comes out. publications ( The Year of Secret Assignments, 2004 The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie, 2006), this one lacks teen appeal. This revised version of an Australian adult novel displays Moriarty’s engagingly quirky writing, but unlike her previous U.S. It’s true that the Spell Book is not for all young adults, but I will just say, very gently, that I get many letters from 15-year-olds about this book – letters which show far more insight about the book, and its grown-up characters, than most of its grown-up readers have ever shown…(no disrespect to the grown-ups intended).Adult crossover that doesn’t. One interesting thing is that reveiwers of The Spell Book of Listen Taylor often say, emphatically, that this is NOT a book for young adults – either because young adults won’t understand the adult issues and characters in it, or won’t be interested in them. The result is a different story, and one that is aimed more at young adults. Some of the other adults disappeared, some of their actions stopped making sense, and some of them became more complete. For example, Listen’s older brother became her father. When I started to write more about Listen, an unexpected thing happened. And what exactly she thought about the Zing Family Secret. He wanted to know why her friends were so cruel. Listen, twelve years old, was already very important – her Spell Book is central to the plot – but she was also very quiet. I rewrote Pancakes because my American editor was intrigued by the character of Listen Taylor. In many ways, it’s the same book, but there’s a lot of new material about a girl named Listen Taylor. The Spell Book of Listen Taylor is a revised version of “I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes”.

The spell book of listen taylor