Suzanne Crowley
Author of The Stolen One
About the Author
Works by Suzanne Crowley
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Crowley, Suzanne
- Other names
- Crowley, Suzanne Carlisle
- Birthdate
- 1963-11-19
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of Texas (BA|Journalism)
- Organizations
- SCBWI, Writer's League of Texas, RWA
- Agent
- Rosemary Stimola
- Short biography
- Suzanne Crowley is a well-known miniature artist whose work has been featured on the covers of American and international magazines. Her debut novel, The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous received three starred reviews, was an IRA Notable Children's Book, and was selected as the Book Sense #3 Top Children's Pick for Fall of 2007. Her second book, The Stolen One, is an Indie Next List Pick for Fall of 2009, and a Best Books for Young Adults nominee. Suzanne was born in a small town in west Texas and currently lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.
- Places of residence
- Dallas, Texas, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Texas, USA
Members
Reviews
Finding Esme is a quiet, lovely coming-of-age story. It's also a story about family, friendship, and loss. The latter is the most interesting to me because both Esme and her grandmother Bee have the gift of finding things that have been lost, but some the things Esme needs the most are the things she can't find or recover - her Paps, answers she seeks, and a connection with her parents, June Rain and Harlan.
While Finding Esme is a tale intended for an MG audience, I think it has an ageless, show more universal appeal because of its depth and emotion. Crowley has crafted interesting, quirky, complex characters that pull you into the story.
Esme is spunky, brave, and loyal. Her family situation is complicated: raised by her grandparents due to a physically absent father and an emotionally absent (but present) mother, they are struggling financially after the passing of her grandfather, Paps. Crowley brought so much emotion to Esme's story - her feelings of loss and longing particularly struck me, as did her need for understanding (and mine) of why June Rain was so disconnected as a parent.
This is also a story layered with relationships: between Esme and Bee, the grandmother with whom she shares the "gift" of finding things (is it a gift, or a curse?); between Esme and her best friend Finch, whose home life is even harder than hers, and with whom the bonds of friendship are tested; between Esme and June Rain, her mother who is disconnected from Esme as a parent, and often disconnected from the world in general. Add in the strained and awkward relationships between various other characters: Bee and Sweetmaw, Bee and Miss Vera, where history and grudges have long lingered.
The book offered a few twists before the mystery was resolved. This isn't a long story, and I found myself slowing down when I realized the end was quickly approaching. There were a few questions left unanswered at the end of the story that I wish had been addressed. I wasn't ready to let go of Esme - she had wound her way into my heart. show less
While Finding Esme is a tale intended for an MG audience, I think it has an ageless, show more universal appeal because of its depth and emotion. Crowley has crafted interesting, quirky, complex characters that pull you into the story.
Esme is spunky, brave, and loyal. Her family situation is complicated: raised by her grandparents due to a physically absent father and an emotionally absent (but present) mother, they are struggling financially after the passing of her grandfather, Paps. Crowley brought so much emotion to Esme's story - her feelings of loss and longing particularly struck me, as did her need for understanding (and mine) of why June Rain was so disconnected as a parent.
This is also a story layered with relationships: between Esme and Bee, the grandmother with whom she shares the "gift" of finding things (is it a gift, or a curse?); between Esme and her best friend Finch, whose home life is even harder than hers, and with whom the bonds of friendship are tested; between Esme and June Rain, her mother who is disconnected from Esme as a parent, and often disconnected from the world in general. Add in the strained and awkward relationships between various other characters: Bee and Sweetmaw, Bee and Miss Vera, where history and grudges have long lingered.
The book offered a few twists before the mystery was resolved. This isn't a long story, and I found myself slowing down when I realized the end was quickly approaching. There were a few questions left unanswered at the end of the story that I wish had been addressed. I wasn't ready to let go of Esme - she had wound her way into my heart. show less
I loved Suzanne Crowley's THE STOLEN ONE, a coming of age tale of a young girl, Kat, trying to find the truth of who she really is, set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Is Kat who her "adopted mom" tells her she is or could she be somehow connected to the very Queen she has always dreamed of meeting? Filled with intrigue, adventure, mystery, deception, romance and more, The Stolen One immerses you into the world of one of history's most romantic eras. I couldn't put it down. Teens and show more moms alike will love this tale. I devoured every minute I spent immersed in its pages. The author dives into a world of her very own ancestors. Could this fiction novel actually be true? You just never know.... show less
I actually really liked this book, but I'm not sure I know why so my review is kind of not very articulate. In the beginning I was afraid it would be full of back stabbing and cruelty but while it is a sad story in many ways it isn't all because of the things people do to each other, a lot of it is just brought on by situations and people's stations in life.
Kat has no idea who she is. All she knows is that Grace has raised her along with her own daughter Anna. When Grace dies Kat leaves show more everything behind and goes to London to try and find out her past. It's an interesting take on what could have happened to Katherine Parr's daughter.
The author beautifully captures just how both the low born and the high born have very little say in their lives. It's interesting to see how Kat's life, which changes when she becomes one of Elizabeth's ladies in waiting, doesn't really chane at all in certain ways. She still has no say in who she marries, she still must do as she is told.
I really wish we had found out what Rafael came home for and whether he really wanted Kat or not, or whether his desires were more sinister then that.
The discriptions of clothing are gorgeous and I can imagine the beautiful embroidery that Kat does. show less
Kat has no idea who she is. All she knows is that Grace has raised her along with her own daughter Anna. When Grace dies Kat leaves show more everything behind and goes to London to try and find out her past. It's an interesting take on what could have happened to Katherine Parr's daughter.
The author beautifully captures just how both the low born and the high born have very little say in their lives. It's interesting to see how Kat's life, which changes when she becomes one of Elizabeth's ladies in waiting, doesn't really chane at all in certain ways. She still has no say in who she marries, she still must do as she is told.
I really wish we had found out what Rafael came home for and whether he really wanted Kat or not, or whether his desires were more sinister then that.
The discriptions of clothing are gorgeous and I can imagine the beautiful embroidery that Kat does. show less
Set in the early years of Elizabeth's reign, The Stolen One is the story of a young girl - Kat (or Katherine) Bab. She had grown up in a small village just under the looming Sudeley castle, earning money with her needle and dreaming of her real parents who she had never met.
When Grace that had been a mother for Kat dies, Kat decides that she had had enough from the small village and her boring life and that she will go to London, dragging her sister with her (Grace's daughter - who as it show more turns out has a few secrets on her own). But when they reach London, it is not the dream city they always thought it to be - London is ugly and dirty and dangerous. But this is also the city where the two girls find some unexpected friends and Kat manages to get invited to the court of the queen - and to the Wardrobe and the people behind it. And the dream for both girls begin... except is it really a dream?
The parts of the book in Elizabeth's court are deliciously written and even if there are enough fiction elements in it, it sounds almost authentic. As does the portrayal of the people in that court.
One of the strongest part of the book is that it plays on one of the historical mysteries of the period - it never contradicts any of the historical facts (except Kat's appearance in the court but that's needed for the story) -- it just builds a story that can easily fill one of the cracks of history.
A few issue with the book:
1. The end - not the way the story ended but the way the author decided to confirm the whole heritage story. By the time Mrs Eglionby showed up, everything was clear; a one page letter from her would have been much better way to finish that part of the story (if the author really wanted it there - it was unneeded...) -- instead it dragged through what amounted to a summary of half of one of the story-lines in the book. On the other hand the actual end of Kat's story is amusing (and borderline hilarious at some parts if you consider everything that happened before)
2. Rafael's explanations the last time he talked with Kat - something just does not add up if you consider when Elizabeth had become a queen, his own answer to his mother about the reason not to return earlier and when he had left home. My first thought was "It is the wrong queen, this had happened under Mary, not Elizabeth". So why he is back is never answered... but it is not that important anyway
3. Every time when Kat was faced with a hard decision or needed to actually live with the consequences of her own actions, someone either died or she got a letter or something like that happened that pretty much forced her hand and made her decision for her. Even the last one was forced by what happened to her.
A side note: If you do the math and know enough about the Tudors, you should be able to decipher within the first few pages who the father of Kat most likely is. It does not matter for the understanding of the novel though.
It's an enjoyable novel -- not too serious (but you cannot expect that from an young adult novel) but at the same time managing to tell a coherent and quite lively story. 4 stars for the novel and honestly if the author had decided to handle the while confirmation part at the end differently, it would have added half a star. show less
When Grace that had been a mother for Kat dies, Kat decides that she had had enough from the small village and her boring life and that she will go to London, dragging her sister with her (Grace's daughter - who as it show more turns out has a few secrets on her own). But when they reach London, it is not the dream city they always thought it to be - London is ugly and dirty and dangerous. But this is also the city where the two girls find some unexpected friends and Kat manages to get invited to the court of the queen - and to the Wardrobe and the people behind it. And the dream for both girls begin... except is it really a dream?
The parts of the book in Elizabeth's court are deliciously written and even if there are enough fiction elements in it, it sounds almost authentic. As does the portrayal of the people in that court.
One of the strongest part of the book is that it plays on one of the historical mysteries of the period - it never contradicts any of the historical facts (except Kat's appearance in the court but that's needed for the story) -- it just builds a story that can easily fill one of the cracks of history.
A few issue with the book:
1. The end - not the way the story ended but the way the author decided to confirm the whole heritage story. By the time Mrs Eglionby showed up, everything was clear; a one page letter from her would have been much better way to finish that part of the story (if the author really wanted it there - it was unneeded...) -- instead it dragged through what amounted to a summary of half of one of the story-lines in the book. On the other hand the actual end of Kat's story is amusing (and borderline hilarious at some parts if you consider everything that happened before)
2. Rafael's explanations the last time he talked with Kat - something just does not add up if you consider when Elizabeth had become a queen, his own answer to his mother about the reason not to return earlier and when he had left home. My first thought was "It is the wrong queen, this had happened under Mary, not Elizabeth". So why he is back is never answered... but it is not that important anyway
3. Every time when Kat was faced with a hard decision or needed to actually live with the consequences of her own actions, someone either died or she got a letter or something like that happened that pretty much forced her hand and made her decision for her. Even the last one was forced by what happened to her.
A side note: If you do the math and know enough about the Tudors, you should be able to decipher within the first few pages who the father of Kat most likely is. It does not matter for the understanding of the novel though.
It's an enjoyable novel -- not too serious (but you cannot expect that from an young adult novel) but at the same time managing to tell a coherent and quite lively story. 4 stars for the novel and honestly if the author had decided to handle the while confirmation part at the end differently, it would have added half a star. show less
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 4
- Members
- 432
- Popularity
- #56,590
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 30
- ISBNs
- 29
- Languages
- 1
