Mary E. Trimble Reviews

Added June 16, 2004

McClellan's Bluff

Author: Mary E. Trimble
Publisher: Atlantic Bridge Publishing
Available At: www.atlanticbridge.net
Publishing Date: Available Now
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Trade Paperback and Ebook download in PDF/HTML
Price: $12.50 paperback, $5.00 ebook
ISBN: 1-931761-78-7
Author Email/Website: http://www.whidbey.com/marytrimble/
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty

Living on a ranch had its advantages and disadvantages. Leslie enjoyed being able to ride every day and helping with round-up. While she didn't particularly enjoy the rough side of ranching, the inner working fascinated her. So when her father asked if she wanted to look over some stock with him, she jumped at the chance.

At the Stroh's ranch, Leslie stands by a fence watching as her father talks with Mr. Stroh. To her great surprise, Sloan Stroh, the owner's nephew, strikes up a conversation with her and even asks her out. She couldn't believe it...Sloan had to be as old as her brother and here he was asking her out. Her father disapproves of Sloan, claiming he knows the type and tells her he doesn't want her to see him.

Leslie's infatuation with Sloan makes her relationship with her father even more strained. While she thinks it's a great idea for her father to date and she likes Lilith, she just can't stand Lilith' s daughter Roxanne. Throw in pressure to do well in school, upcoming musical concerts and the everyday emotions and relationships compromising the life of a teenager and it's a wonder Leslie manages to even get up in the morning.

Will Leslie be able to convince her father to let her date Sloan? Will she ever adjust and be happy to have a new sister? What will happen when she hears a different version of the accident that took her mother's life?

McClellan's Bluff is a marvelous read. Accurately capturing the emotions, fears and thoughts of a teenager, Ms. Trimble takes readers on a journey of discovery and fun. A journey that is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. We watch Leslie face changes in her family as her father and brother are both making wedding plans. She also has to deal with gaining a sister, proving to her father she is ready for more responsibility and convincing him to let her date an older man. We see the emotional roller coaster love places her on and Ms. Trimble focuses on the emotions, rather than letting her character become involved physically.

It's not often you find a book where a teenage agrees to abide by her father's rules even when she thinks them unfair and for that I applaud Ms. Trimble. Leslie's journey is very emotional and while she may have made the wrong choices at times, she doesn't keep whining about them. She realizes her mistakes and learns from them. I highly recommend McClellan's Bluff; it's a gem.

Return to top of page.

This page was last updated on January 1, 2008

This page and all its contents are Copyright© 2002-2008 In the Library Reviews and the individual reviewers. Except where noted, all graphics are Copyright© Eos Development and are used with permission. All book covers are Copyright© their respective publishers and are used with permission. The In the Library Reviews logo is Copyright© 2002 by In the Library Reviews/Sharyn McGinty. Site maintained by In the Library Reviews.