Land of a Hundred Wonders by Lesley Kagen

Land of a Hundred Wonders

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (July 29, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0451224094

Gibby McGraw, 20-year-old resident of Cray Ridge, Kentucky, lives with her ornery but beloved grandfather and splits her time between waitressing in his cafe and publishing her own newspaper titled Gibby’s Gazette. An only child, Gibby is passionate about family, but following the death of her parents in the car accident that left her NQR (Not Quite Right), she must settle for her grandfather and best friend Clever. More than anything, Gibby wants to make be QR (Quite Right), and her work on the paper is one way she tries to accomplish this feat. Unfortunately, her brain injury makes her prone to forgetfulness and unpredictable behavior. Consider: Currently she is working on the breaking story of the murder of Cray Ridge’s mayor, complete with exclusive photos of the crime scene. If only she could remember to tell someone that she knows he is dead and where to find his body. In addition to being NQR, Gibby is surrounded with frustration in the form of Sneaky Tim Ray Holloway who is always trying to get her alone. Luckily, Gibby has an unusual savior: a Vietnam vet her own age who has become shell-shocked and roams the woods. When her best friend, Clever, becomes pregnant by the no-good out-of-towner staying in the house next door to the McGraw’s, Gibby is determined to help her, especially if it will get her away from her abusive and alcoholic mother. Clever has a plan to make them all rich: the map she found in her lover’s house. She believes it leads to a treasure, but Gibby is not sure that it doesn’t lead to trouble.

NQR or not, Gibby is a spitfire that readers will find endearing. As she fights off the very handsy Sneaky Tim Ray Holloway, you cannot help but cheer. And when she roams the titular home of a family friend, you feel her awe and peace. Unfortunately, Gibby is slated to have a difficult life, and her adventures range from the harrowing to the hysterical. When the ultimate secret of the accident that killed her parents and left her NQR is revealed, readers will be hard put not to shed a tear for her lost innocence in the face of all that she has striven to overcome. Cray Ridge and its residents are a wonderful mix of the seedy and the saintly, and each person brings a little something to the story.