Jill Williamson reviewed a book.
Rock Harbor Search and Rescue
“Emily O'Reilly has a chance to get her own puppy and train it to be a Search & Rescue dog. It's going to cost her, though. She's confident she can make the money quickly by selling the jewelry she makes at craft bazaars. But when another vendor accuses Emily of stealing an expensive necklace,...”
“Emily O'Reilly has a chance to get her own puppy and train it to be a Search & Rescue dog. It's going to cost her, though. She's confident she can make the money quickly by selling the jewelry she makes at craft bazaars. But when another vendor accuses Emily of stealing an expensive necklace, Emily sets out to prove her innocence, which is hard when her own father doesn't even believe her. Will Emily be able to catch the real thief in time to get her puppy and have a chance at her dream of joining the Rock Harbor Search & Rescue team?
I'm so excited about this new series. I grew up on Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys—read every book in both series—so I'm thrilled to find something new and equally as fun. I had no idea people surfed on the Great Lakes and found that fascinating. I liked Emily's character immediately. She's smart and confident. I liked that she had a unique interest and was determined to put in hard work to see her dreams happen. Emily also wasn't shy about telling a cute boy what she believed. I loved that, seeing a girl with enough conviction to stand up for her beliefs, even to a cute upperclassman. Peer pressure does not sway this young sleuth!
I had two little pet peeves in the story. One, Emily's dad was really mean at times. It killed me that he didn't even listen to his daughter, let alone believe her when she said she didn't steal the necklace. I felt so bad for her. Two, Emily copied Mrs. Dancers jewelry designs, sat in a booth beside her, and sold hers at a much lower cost. It's really inconsiderate to copy someone else's work and charge less right beside them, where you can steal all their customers. It seemed a bit unethical for Emily's character. But perhaps I've just worked too many years in the fashion industry and seen too many people put out of business this way.
The plot of this book was great with enough suspects and twists and turns that I didn't have a clue who'd done it. The other characters were excellent. I loved how different everyone was, and I look forward to seeing some of the side characters again in future books. There were also lots of fun seeds plants for further books in the series which will make girls excited to keep reading. Loved this book. Highly recommended for young readers.”
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