The Shadowed Onyx is book 3 in Nicole O’Dell’s Diamond Estates series. These books are about girls who are grappling with some issue or another. Now, I’m not personally fond of ‘issues’ books so I wasn’t especially excited to read book 1, The Wishing Pearl.
But I quickly changed my mind. Nicole O’Dell has a real heart for teenage girls and it shows in her novels. She’s not afraid to take on issues that so many girls face every day. Abuse, teen pregnancy, suicide, rape, and cutting have all been covered. with grace and compassion in previous books. I found myself wishing that I could track down the hurting girls I knew and force them to read these books, to say, there is hope! Of course, it’s not that easy. But these books are full of hope, and I would highly recommend them to anyone who is, has, or works with a teenage girl.
Ok, here’s what The Shadowed Onyx is about:
At age seventeen, Joy Christianson is the life of the party. That is, until her best friend commits suicide. Joy’s already wavering faith slips completely out of her reach; darkness sets in, and her smile fades. Her “friends” lead her to the Onxy, meant to help her let go of the past and bring her into harmony with reality. Joy embarks on a dark journey of witchcraft. Eventually, afraid of letting the depression and evil take root, Joy decides to seek help in the haven of Diamond Estates—and try to reclaim the Joy she once knew.
I was a little worried about the subject matter of The Shadowed Onyx. I mean, let’s face it, witchcraft is scary and rightly so. But O’Dell handled the subject with the grace I’ve come to expect and it may be my favorite book in the series! I don’t know for sure though, Carmen from The Embittered Ruby is a really great character…
Parents should also check out O’Dells website, which features advice for parents and teens on how to tackle really tough issues with each other.
I was provided a copy of this title by the publisher for the purpose of this
review.
ADDLibrarian 