"This is a terrific coming of age fantasy thriller starring a thirteen year old girl whose rite of passage into adulthood takes a dark turn when she finds the special blood gem. Readers will feel they have entered Johnsons Island (not the military base in the Pacific) realm as the geography and climate come across rather influentially and powerfully.""--Harriet Klausner, October 29, 2007 ""Alternative-Worlds.com """