Book Review of 'Suddenly Rural Girl' by Dann and Kennedy Hurlbert

Happy Tuesday Bookworms!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer day and handling the heat and staying safe. Today I am featuring a YA novel that is full of all the things I love in a novel, so I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this contemporary fiction and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours!

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Suddenly Rural Girl by Dann and Kennedy Hurlbert, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Suddenly Rural Girl: Facing Life, Death, Mean Girls, and Cute Boys in Rural America
Author: Dann & Kennedy Hurlbert
Publisher: Kirk House Publishers
Release Date: February 1, 2024
Genre: Young Adult & Middle Grade Contemporary Christian Fiction

After her dad is tragically killed, Dakota Moore’s mom moves her to northern Minnesota where Dak discovers an outcast classmate may be a reclusive miracle worker. She thinks she found him too late. The truth is, she met him just in time. Will Dak discover the miracle worker’s secrets before the next tragedy strikes?

Now, tucked into a secluded A-frame near a beaver-infested creek with her strong Sioux mom and her lisping little brother, Dak faces a new school and a trio of mean girls. Seemingly alone, she buries herself in a design app and self pity until an old blind man, his curly-haired horse named Eyeballs, a quirky dragon-doodling classmate, and a strawberry blonde with delicious sun-kissed freckles give her four reasons to keep on living. Then she decides to do more than just survive; Dak intends to thrive. When tragedy strikes again, she confronts the intriguing and repulsive miracle worker, but he doesn’t help their mutual friend. Learning why will change her life.

Suddenly Rural Girl is a friend and faith-finding journey, featuring a strong, female, multiracial protagonist and is loaded with laugh-out-loud characters and gorgeous northern Minnesota beauty. The magnificent landscapes haunt like William Kent Kreuger’s Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, and the quick-witted dialogue is reminiscent of Jenny B. Jones’ There You’ll Find Me and In Between books. The combination makes it an excellent YA read with cross-over into Contemporary Christian audiences. The novel also has a companion study guide full of plot-related questions for classrooms and theme based discussion prompts for book groups!

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop

My Review

A small family is adjusting to life without a patriarch in a new town, trying to start over and find a new normal. Our narrator is thirteen-year-old Dakota who has already been through so much in her young life and now is having to adjust to a new town and new school.

I’ll admit, it took me awhile to get into the narrative, most likely because I am not the target demographic, but once the story got moving it intrigued and touched me. So much tragedy yet also so much hope. It was refreshing to see a young girl with a good head on her shoulders navigating a time in her life that you couldn’t pay me money to relive. Though she has her insecurities, she is also fierce and determined and I admired that so much.

It’s not an accident that I read this book. There were times that I thought I might give up, but something spurred me on. Then there was a moment in the story that pierced my soul so deep that I started sobbing and had to stop reading. I have been praying for a long time about a difficult situation and my prayers have been met with silence. I have felt my faith slipping recently, but I am now seeing my whole ordeal from a different perspective...through the lens of healing faith. I can honestly say that I have a renewed hope and incredible peace, and I am so thankful.

Suddenly Rural Girl shows the importance of faith and community even in the darkest of times, and it impacted me in ways I did not expect. I do feel like some of the details did tend to slow down the narrative, but it’s one of those stories that is worth it if you stick it out. I loved how it all came full circle in the end and there are parts that I am still pondering days later. So, don’t let the YA fool you. This story packs a powerful punch and I can see it touching many hearts like it touched mine.

My Rating: ★★★★

About the Authors

Dann Hurlbert has BSED in English and Theater Education from the University of South Dakota, an MFA in Digital Cinema from California’s National University, and has spent many years as an educator and professional actor and director. He currently serves as a Media & Design Specialist at Minnesota’s Carleton College. He’s a sucker for the Great Outdoors, Caribou Coffee, and his beautiful wife, and three impressive kids.

Kennedy Hurlbert is a cheerful and creative teenager who inspired much of the SRG story and corrected all her dad’s teen lingo. She enjoys being with friends, whipping up sweet and tasty desserts, and spending time at the lake. Any lake. She loves lakes. Especially the Boundary Waters. But any lake will do. She also likes sports and cuddling with the family Golden Retrievers.

Connect with Dann at dannhurlbert.com to follow him on social media and sign up for email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(3) winners will win a signed paperback copy (or ebook) of Suddenly Rural Girl!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 16, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 23, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!