Shelter Me

by Alex McAulay

Book Overview

From the acclaimed author of Bad Girls comes a "dark, break-neck paced journey through wartime England, full of twists and turns you'll never see coming" (Christopher Golden, author of Soulless ) as a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416545832
• ISBN13: 9781416545835
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: MTV Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

A Killer novel - with action and never ending suspense!!

Shelter Me is a keep-you-on-your-toes-from-beginning-to-end kind of book. There were numerous moments where I was just totally flabbergasted. This is the first book to completely shock me like that! Maggie is a very determined girl, but her mom believes she's corrupted, so she sends her off to a boarding school in Wales. But strange things are happening at the school, so Maggie and a couple friends leave to travel somewhere else. Being in the middle of a war, it isn't the best idea for girls to be wandering around alone, especially after dark with no money, no food, and no way to defend themselves. They encounter all kinds of problems, some more dangerous than others, and I was on the edge wondering if that would be the end of the road for them. McAulay really knows how to write a killer novel - with action and never ending suspense!!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Maggie Leigh is a teenager growing up in war torn London in 1941. So far, Maggie and her mom have avoided any of the bombing raids over the city. But she is used to the blackout curtains and the warning sirens. It isn't until she ventures into another part of the city with her world-traveled Aunt Joan that the reality sets in. Maggie and her aunt are shopping in an exotic fabric shop when the unmistakable sound of a low-flying plane is heard overhead. In a matter of moments, the street outside is destroyed, and debris flies into the shop. As the plane passes, Aunt Joan grabs Maggie and runs for the underground station. They've been taught that the underground stations are deep enough to protect from the bombs above. Unfortunately, the underground isn't as safe as they'd hoped, and the ceiling is about to cave. Protecting Maggie over everything else, Aunt Joan forces Maggie up the stairway. Maggie makes it back out safely, but Aunt Joan is left in a coma. It's from here that Maggie's mother decides that the best and safest place for Maggie to shelter is on the coast at her Uncle Harold's. Maggie doesn't have much say in the matter, and within two days, she finds herself on a train headed towards Carmarthen, with a letter from her mother stashed in her pocket. It's only when the train arrives late at night at a deserted station that Maggie starts to worry. A lone car pulls up and a nun steps out. Maggie is confused, until Sister Bramley has Maggie retrieve the letter. The letter wasn't for her Uncle Harold, but for herself! Her mother is sending her to St. Garan's for the next three months. It's a convent in the middle of nowhere. Her mother is overly religious and was afraid that Aunt Joan's influence was corrupting Maggie. Life at St. Garan's starts out miserably, and goes from bad to worse. It's only when she is befriended during the night by Kate that there is any bright spot for Maggie. Kate knows how to work the convent and helps Maggie to survive. But a horrible event occurs on the beach below the rocky cliffs of St. Garan's. Maggie knows she will be blamed and life will become intolerable. Kate rescues her and the two decide to run away in the middle of the night. The duo turns into a foursome before the night is over, and they do their best to escape from St. Garan's. It's at this point that I can't give anything else away. It would spoil the rest of the story!! I have to give the author kudos for writing a book that didn't give anything away before it was necessary. I could anticipate Maggie wanting to leave St. Garan's but did not plan on how it would turn out. I was kept turning pages from the initial bombing until the last page. The story is dark, set in a desperate time in history, but Maggie's spirit and perseverance keeps the novel from becoming too depressing. The situations felt real and the horrors Maggie endured were traumatic, but she was a strong character able to persevere. This is yet

Enchanting Review: Shelter Me

SHELTER ME ALEX McAULAY Historical Fiction YA MTV Books ISBN# 978-1-4165-4583-5 274 pages $9.95 Paperback - Available January 2009 Rating: 4 Enchantments Maggie Leigh is trying to live a normal life in the midst of World War II. But nothing comes easy now, especially with meager war rations and German bombs frequently falling on her hometown of London. Life has become dreary and boring with no friends, no chocolate, and no fun. By chance, Maggie and her aunt Joan are caught in a bombing, leaving Joan comatose and Margie largely uninjured, but at the mercy of her overtly religious mother. Maggie's mom sees the German bombs as divine punishment for Britain's collective sins, including Maggie's, and tricks Maggie into attending a secluded boarding school in Wales. Maggie is plunged into a world of lies and deceit in a delusional institution that encourages dementia and class warfare. Then a horrific incident forces Maggie and three other girls to flee the school. Wartime Britain, as they are about to learn, is a harsh and unforgiving world, and absolutely everything is at stake. SHELTER ME is without a doubt a nonstop thriller with the added excitement of danger of war on the home front. I felt McAulay accurately portrayed most of the terrifying effects of modern warfare in real people's lives. This novel's strength was by far the unpredictable plot. The many twists and turns kept the story suspenseful and reader eager to know more. There was a little lacking in the character department however. Maggie shows herself to be a quick and resourceful thinker, but much of the rest of her character was conflicted. She is compassionate and caring to one friend, but quick to forget the others that get left behind in her escape. Maggie's relationship with her zealously religious mother is never resolved, especially after the betrayal, much to my disappointment. But despite only mediocre character development, SHELTER ME is most definitely a thrilling read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Alex McAulay has written several other thrillers for young adults, including LOST SUMMER and OBLIVION ROAD. You can visit him online at his website: www.alexmcaulay.com Rachael Stein Enchanting Reviews December 2008

Riveting, harrowing, and full of suspense

Maggie Leigh is living with her extremely religious and wheelchair ridden mother in World War II period London when the Germans drop the bombs on the city that seriously injure her aunt, Maggie's only respite from her mother's strict and controlled parenting. Now paranoid, Maggie's mother sends her to a Catholic school for girls in Wales to keep her safe; physically from the German bombs, and spiritually from her "heathen" aunt. But the school is far from what Maggie expects: girls from all over the country are crowded like livestock in the school, the nuns are extremely strict and rigid, and the Mother Superior is not only frightening, but mad. Then a dangerous discover on the beach near the school sets off a chain of events that send Maggie on a harrowing, dangerous journey that will test her to her limits. Shelter Me provides an intriguing and riveting plotline--McAulay is skilled at capturing a sense of danger and adventure that entertains and causes plenty of apprehension. Readers may be put off by the slightly shaky and standard writing in the first chapter, but it quickly evens out and provides plenty of excitement and action to keep the reader enthralled. The school Maggie is sent to is uniquely portrayed, and the nuns will give the reader chills. It is here that the story begins to pick up as Maggie makes some new friends, and the terrifying scene at the beach sets the girls' plans for escape into motion. A series of last minute discoveries and near misses will keep readers on the edges of their seats as the girls are thrown from one dilemma directly into another. All the while, Maggie's fear and uncertainty are palpable, and her innocence very apparent, making for a more realistic and heart pounding novel. Also notable is how McAulay adresses the difference between the social classes and how the war effects each and the clashes between them. Readers may be surprised at how neatly the ending wraps up, but will be completely and wholly satisfied nonetheless. Despite the modern terms and lack of more historical details, Shelter Me is an action filled and adventurous story that is sure to especially appeal to reluctant readers. Alex McAulay knows how to entertain and keep readers hanging in suspense.

Shelter Me by by Sharon of sharonlovesbooksandcats

It took me three hours in one sitting to finish Shelter Me. Yes, it was that good. This is the second book this week that I've read about a boarding school run be lunatics. Unlike the first novel Shelter Me was well written and had well developed characters. Shelter Me starts off with a boom (no pun intended) and never really slows down. The whole atmosphere of London during World War II was very authentic. I did not once question the struggles that Maggie when through. I really felt Maggie's despair when her mother forces her to leave home. The boarding school itself was beyond creepy. There were several times when I was running right along side Maggie in my head. That is how real she felt to me. The nuns in the school was so scary that I wanted to jump into the book and smack them! The side characters were also very fabulous. The whole scene down at the beach was so shocking and sad. I cannot believe I actually felt sorry for the poor guy (trying not to give too much away here!). Another thing that struck as interesting was how the differences among the social classes were handled. Maggie comes from a lower middle-class background and it at several times shocked by the wealth of other people around her. Even at the boarding school there is a clear difference among the wealthy and poor. The wealthy girls eat better food and have much better sleeping arrangements. Ironically in the end it is a large sum on money that gets Maggie out of her predicament. The ending! Oh my god! I did not see this ending coming at all. I love being surprised like that. Kudos to Alex McAuluy for shocking the pants off me.