THE IMPOSSIBLE DESTINY OF CUTIE GRACKLE by Shawn K. Stout Blog Tour with Review + Giveaway

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE IMPOSSIBLE DESTINY OF CUTIE GRACKLE by Shawn K. Stout Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: THE IMPOSSIBLE DESTINY OF CUTIE GRACKLE

Author: Shawn K. Stout

Pub. Date: May 31, 2022

Publisher: Peachtree

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Do you believe in impossible things? Cutie Grackle does. She has to. Otherwise, she’ll never be more than a lonely 10 year old in a cursed family.

Cutie Grackle is used to being different—she lives alone on a mountain with her feeble-minded uncle, and when she’s not sucking pebbles to trick her stomach into feeling full, she’s chatting with a weathered garden gnome for company. But having a flock of ravens follow you is more than just different. Cutie worries the birds are connected to the curse Uncle Horace tends to mutter about. And she’s right.

The ravens present her with a fortune from a cookie, and when she touches it she’s pulled into a vision from her family’s past. It involves the curse and her long-lost mother. The birds offer up a series of objects, each imbued with memories that eventually reveal Cutie must do what her mother could not: break the curse.

Part outdoor survival adventure, part fantastical quest, Shawn K. Stout’s The Impossible Destiny of Cutie Grackle is a journey of hope, heart, and a willingness to believe in the impossible.

 

                                                         MY REVIEW

10-year old Cutie Grackle lives with her Uncle Horace on Smite Mountain.  Ever since she’s been little, Cutie’s been told that her family is under a curse, which took both of her parents away.  Cutie’s only friend is the lunch lady at school, Toot, who takes her to the food pantry twice a month.  When Toot has to go out of town unexpectedly, Cutie notices a flock of ravens following her.  When one of them gives her a fortune, Cutie experiences memories from the past that lead her to a way of breaking the curse.  

Cutie Grackle is a sweet girl who is both financially and food insecure.  Being left by herself most of the time, she’s very lonely, and often entertains herself by reading her Uncles book on Claude Monet or talks to a gnome yard figurine.  Cutie’s uncle is often absent, and when he’s around, is not very talkative.  For only being ten years old, Cutie has taken on most of the responsibilities of the house, she takes the groceries and separates them into a daily ration, making sure they’ll last for two weeks.  Even with all the difficulties surrounding her, Cutie is optimistic and brave.  Her story definitely resonated with me, I felt her loneliness and my heart broke when she had no food to eat and talked about sucking on a pebble to calm her hunger pains.  I really enjoyed the boy she met, Galen, and his enthusiasm and eagerness to help Cutie unravel the mystery of her families curse.  Overall a very enjoyable read of destiny, curses, memories and impossible things.    Favorite line:  “History is not your destiny.  Uncover your destiny, and you will remake history.”

About Shawn K. Stout:

Shawn K. Stout is the author of several books for young readers, including A Tiny Piece of Sky (Philomel/PRH), which was a Bank Street Best Book. Shawn holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in Maryland with her family. Visit her at www.shawnkstout.com

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE IMPOSSIBLE DESTINY OF CUTIE GRACKLE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/4/2022	BookHounds YA	Excerpt/IG Post
7/4/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
7/5/2022	@just_another_mother_with_books	IG Review
7/5/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
7/6/2022	Log Cabin Library	Review
7/6/2022	Yabookscentral	Excerpt/IG Post
7/7/2022	Midnightbooklover	IG Post
7/7/2022	GryffindorBookishNerd	Review/IG Post
7/8/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
7/8/2022	Little Red Reads	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

7/11/2022	hodophile_z	IG Review
7/11/2022	travelersguidetobooks	IG Review
7/12/2022	Write. Read. Live.	Excerpt/IG Post
7/12/2022	@enjoyingbooksagain	Review/IG Post
7/13/2022	pluvioreads	Review/IG Post
7/13/2022	@pickagoodbook	Review/IG Post
7/14/2022	Locks, Hooks and Books	Review/IG Post
7/14/2022	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
7/15/2022	Nerdophiles	Review/
7/15/2022	celiamcmahonreads on insta	Review/IG Post