The Clearing

By Heather Davis

In this bittersweet romance, two teens living decades apart form a bond that will change their lives forever.

     Amy is drawn to the misty, mysterious clearing behind her Aunt Mae’s place because it looks like the perfect place to hide from life. A place to block out the pain of her last relationship, to avoid the kids in her new town, to stop dwelling on what her future holds after high school.

     Then, she meets a boy lurking in the mist—Henry. Henry is different from any other guy Amy has ever known. And after several meetings in the clearing, she’s starting to fall for him.

     But Amy is stunned when she finds out just how different Henry really is. Because on his side of the clearing, it’s still 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future. Amy’s crossing over to Henry’s side brings him more happiness than he’s ever known—but her presence also threatens to destroy his safe existence.

     In The Clearing, author Heather Davis crafts a tender and poignant tale about falling in love, finding strength, and having the courage to make your own destiny—a perfect book to slip into and hide away for awhile.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Apr 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9780547487830

Heather Davis

Heather Davis: At first glance, I don't seem like an outdoorsy person, but somehow I've spent a lot of time in the woods, including working as a chef in remote Alaska and teaching school in a tiny logging town in the North Cascade Mountains. Never Cry Werewolf is an homage to both those rugged adventures and all the fun times I've spent singing stupid songs about lunch meat (eww!) and gobbling down s'mores (yum!). I didn't set out to write a book about werewolves, but I fell in love with the idea that everyone has a side of themselves that's shown to the world and one that's kept hidden. These days, I'm enjoying big city life in the Pacific Northwest. When I'm not writing YA novels, I'm haunting my local movie theater and spending time with a colorful cast of friends and family (who do occasionally howl).

Book preview

Chapter One

Each night I wished for things to be different. I’d lie awake in the cool darkness, breathing in the smell of fabric softener on my pillowcase and listening to the sound of the late-night TV show coming from Mom and Pete’s bedroom. And I wished myself far, far away.

I’d imagine a life far away from the bland, new houses in our quiet Seattle cul-de-sac. A life far away from the green, green lawn of my immaculately maintained high school. A life far away from Matt Parker and the bruises he left on my arms.

And those bruises you couldn’t see.

I admit it. For the last year, I’d been a little dumb. Totally focused on Matt Parker, until the day he forgot I existed. And then all I wanted to do was vanish for real. To disappear into a mist, never to be heard from again.

Every single night that summer, I lay awake wishing my life were different. And then one day it was . . . but not in the way you probably think.

…

Different was my great-aunt Mae’s singlewide trailer and forty acres of trees and grassy farmland.

You sure you’ll be all right here, Amy? Mae smoothed some flyaway gray hairs under her straw hat. It’s just farmers and old folks in the valley.

Mosquitoes buzzed around us in the cooling September air, and Katie, the German shepherd, sniffed at me uncertainly as Mae and I pulled my stuff from the bed of her rusty Ford pickup.

’Course, Katie and I are happy to have the company, Mae added. Even in our humble abode.

This place is great, I said, trying to sound convincing as I glanced at the ramshackle trailer in front of us, with its sagging wooden steps and faded, salmon-shaped windsock that flapped randomly in the afternoon breeze. I’d seen Mae’s home once before, when Mom and I visited Rockville when I was a little kid. The place seemed kinda run-down now, but I didn’t care that much.

I’d always liked Mae. Every year she visited us at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, bringing jars of homemade jam and fresh honey from her beehives. And to me, a country life with trees as far as the eye could see and a sun-dappled garden seemed a paradise compared to what I’d left. Short of running away, it was my only option.

The fact that my mom hadn’t argued with me about moving up here to this tiny town in the North Cascade Mountains had hurt a little. In some ways she was probably relieved I was going away for senior year. Pete’s kids were off at college, and with me out of the picture, Mom and Pete had some alone time. Yeah, Mom had agreed with me when I told her I needed to get away. At least she understood that transferring to another high school in the city wasn’t going to help when Matt and my old crowd of friends lived less than a mile away.

And so there were a couple of days of packing, and then I left with no goodbyes to anyone, except Mom and Pete, who’d driven me to meet Mae halfway between Seattle and Rockville at a rest stop on the highway. I needed to be somewhere different. Maybe I needed to be someone different, too.

Mae helped me drag my suitcases and box of books up the stairs of the mobile home, Katie trotting behind us and woofing her encouragement. The fresh country air, which smelled of rain and cut grass, disappeared behind the closed trailer door, replaced by stagnation and a damp staleness that seemed to penetrate everything inside. Mae took my coat and hung it on the peg next to hers on the rack. Then she wriggled out of her rubber boots while I checked out my new home.

At one end of the living room, a wood stove stood on a brick hearth, flanked by a new-looking tweed couch and two bookshelves overflowing with books and DVDs. Off to the left were a kitchen and eating nook, and to the right, a narrow hallway.

It’s smaller than I remembered, I said. Then, seeing Mae’s face fall a little, I added, Of course, everything seems big when you’re a little kid. Sheesh, the last thing I needed was to wear out my welcome in the first ten minutes.

That is true, Mae said. She opened the wood stove and poked around with a stick to stir the fire, then clanked the door shut. Though I expect after the trouble you’ve had, it’ll do you good. Mae gave me a smile that crinkled the lines around her mouth. Be just the balm you need to heal what ails you.

I didn’t know how much Mom had told her about everything, so I just said, It’ll be okay. Katie nosed my knee and I gave her a pat.

Your room’s down the hall past the bathroom, sweetie. You get settled and then meet Katie and me out by the woodpile. We’ve got some splitting and stacking to do for winter.

Sure. I sighed. So that was Aunt Mae’s real balm for what ailed me—manual labor. Did sweat and splinters heal a total life implosion? I doubted it.

I wheeled my suitcase down the narrow hall and opened the door with my toe. Cramped but clean, the room had a bed, desk, chair, dresser, and closet. Lilac sheets peeked out from under a white comforter on the twin bed; a hand-stitched quilt was laid across the foot.

A fresh start. A simple room in a new place where no one knew me or what I’d come from. A place to lose myself—and all that had come before.

…

The next morning, I woke to the sound of Mae’s truck roaring off down the driveway. Sitting up in bed, I noticed my arms were sore from last night’s chores. Mae did a lot of things the old-fashioned way, and she had a specific way she liked everything done, from the angle in which the firewood was stacked to the way she peeled apples for pie. Those quirks were going to take some getting used to.

I snuggled back into the covers and tried to snooze some more, but finally motivated by my growling stomach, I headed into the kitchen for orange juice and toast. On the small dinette table Mae had left a note. Her perfect old-people cursive spilled across the back of a power bill envelope.

Going to town. Please split some more kindling and then have some fun in the garden. This afternoon we register you for school!

Love,

Mae

Hmm. Fun in the garden probably meant weeding.

I spent the next few hours chopping wood, with occasional breaks to throw a stick into the bushes for Katie. It wasn’t too hard to make the kindling. It was just splitting the quartered rounds into smaller and smaller sticks you could use to start a fire.

As I worked, I tried to think of what my friends were doing now—well, what was left of them. Chelsea hadn’t talked to me for weeks. I was sure she’d try to track me down when she learned that everything I’d finally told her about Matt was true. The last time we’d spoken I’d shown her the marks on my arms. She’d blamed them on softball and said that Matt had warned her I’d be spreading lies about him.

I zipped up my sweatshirt, feeling the slight chill of the gray September day. It was typical Pacific Northwest weather with a cloudy sky that looked ready to dump rain. If I was lucky, I had about an hour left of outdoor time before I’d be drenched. I focused on the task at hand, slamming down my hatchet into the wood, imagining for a brief second that I was bashing Matt. That was a little more satisfying than thinking it was just another chunk of fuel that would be used up in the stove when it got all cold out for real.

Bored with my diligent wood-chopping, Katie barked at me, picking up and dropping a stick I’d thrown a little while earlier. Though she was a gentle giant, she had a forceful bark. I set down the hatchet and chucked the stick as hard as I could into the woods. The dog tore after it into the trees, barking like crazy.

And then nothing. Her barking stopped. Weird.

Katie! I yelled, but she didn’t come back. After a minute I followed her path. She’d run past the garden and into the woodlot behind. My feet tamped down cedar needles and moss as I moved through the trees. Katie! Come!

In a rush the shepherd whipped around a tree and almost bowled me over, then proudly dropped the stick and started barking again. Fine. The dog had a sense of humor.

Hide-and-seek, huh? Awesome, I said.

She stopped barking and sat down in front of me, looking expectantly at the stick and then back at me. Then she repeated the stares. Stick. Me. Stick. Me. Stick.

Okay. You win, girl. I picked up the stick and hurled it as far as I could. This time it zoomed past tree limbs and bushes, and Katie went nuts again, barking and dashing away after it, just a blur of brown and black against the late summer greens.

And then . . . again, the barking stopped.

Katie! I yelled. Playing along, I followed Katie’s path through the trees and found myself at the edge of a big field, a field that smelled strongly of summer—of warm earth and mown grass. It was a beautiful meadow that I hadn’t seen from Mae’s backyard. A perfect rectangle framed by trees on three sides and dissolving into a mist on the other.

As I studied the meadow, Katie bounded toward me, carrying the stick in her mouth like a prize. I had to smile. I hadn’t had a dog in years. When Mom and Dad were still married, we’d lived on the army base at Fort Lewis, south of Seattle, and had a little poodle named Tucker. He’d never been as much fun as Katie. Mostly, he’d wanted to chew shoes and chase the neighbor’s Chihuahua. When Dad and Mom split up, Tucker had gone to live at a relative’s house. Since then, Dad had been posted overseas, and Mom and I had lived in apartments, at least until we’d moved in with Pete. Pete was allergic to dogs and cats.

Dad was in Japan now, on an army base. Sometimes he sent me cool stuff for my birthday and usually he remembered to call on Christmas. It didn’t bother me too much that he was so far away. I’d got used to Mom and me, and even Pete, being our own family. I hadn’t thought about what it would be like to live without them nearby. In a way, it should have been harder than it seemed so far.

Then again, I hadn’t really talked with Mom much this last year. She’d liked Matt, just like everyone had. And then when the truth about him came out—when it started showing on my body—she’d said she had never trusted him. She told me something had seemed off about Matt from the start, which was so easy to say in hindsight and didn’t make me feel any better about what I’d been through.

I could still picture Mom’s face the summer before last when I’d come home from Darcy Clegg’s house party with a fat lip. Matt had thrown a full keg cup at me—just plastic, but with enough force to bruise my mouth. He’d apologized the whole way home, but meanwhile, my upper lip had puffed up and looked awful. I stood there in my mom’s living room and lied about how it had happened. I told her I’d caught someone’s elbow playing volleyball.

She’d known I was lying. I remember seeing it in her eyes. And I stood there wanting her to save me, to put a stop to something even I didn’t feel I could stop. And she’d said nothing.

At the time, I’d told myself it was a good thing, that I should be glad she didn’t pry. But looking back, it made me feel so sad.

It only got worse after that. Matt grabbing me—both hands on my upper arms—calling me names and shaking me when he got mad. Sometimes he apologized, but then other times he didn’t—he’d just blame me for setting him off. And then that spring, Matt told me he’d break up with me if I didn’t do it. Told me he’d find another girl who knew how to make him happy. Told me if I really loved him, I’d go through with it.

Afterward—after it—nothing had changed. Nothing, until my so-called best friend caught his eye a few weeks later. I felt so stupid. I went over and over it in my mind, trying to understand why I’d put up with all that he’d done to me—and what was worse, why I felt so sad when he’d gone off with Chelsea. It was dumb to even care.

I felt my breathing change. I was getting upset all over again, and I didn’t want to cry anymore. I took a deep breath, focusing on the peaceful field. This place, this new start, was my escape. I never had to see him again.

Sitting up and panting in the grass, Katie was watching me. I could almost hear her dog ESP going, Throw the stick already!

Okay. You win. I reached down and picked up Katie’s skinny branch.

We played the game again, with me tossing the stick as hard as I could and Katie taking off. The wood cartwheeled against the white sky and then ended up on the other side of the field, just at the edge of the heavy mist. I wondered how there could still be an early-morning fog rolling in from somewhere. That kind of thing normally burned off by midday. Could there be a hidden creek?

I traced Katie’s run, ending at the border of the mist. The air seemed dense, like winter when the air is heavy with dew and it’s about to freeze. It was strange. Katie obediently stopped in front of me and dropped the stick at my feet. But I was distracted.

Just a minute, pup, I said, walking into the coolness a little ways. I could feel it on my skin, like tiny cold crystals—a taste of winter when it was barely even fall.

Katie hadn’t followed me. I backed out of the fog and found her waiting there. Come on, I said, patting my leg, but she didn’t come to me. She sat there, looking into the mist and panting. I called her again, and this time she whimpered.

Fine.

Figuring I wasn’t going to throw her the stick, Katie galloped away to chase after a bee. And I walked back into the misty clearing.

It was like the secret place of my suburban dreams. A thick cloud that swallowed up the day. That enveloped me. A perfect hiding place from the world. I breathed in the cool, cool air and walked forward a few more steps.

And then the weirdest thing happened. I heard something. Metallic. Rhythmic. Swishing like a machine. I was pretty sure Mae had said the closest neighbor was twenty acres away. This was all Mae’s land. So where was the sound coming from?

I wandered farther into the mist toward the sound. But then I couldn’t even see my hand anymore. I could hear Katie barking, but I couldn’t make her out. And then Katie’s bark faded. The metallic sound grew louder. Swish. Swish.

All at once I felt lost. The sun was blotted out by the whiteness all around. My heart beat faster as I turned in a slow circle, trying to get my bearings, and trying to see which way I had come into the fog. This was what it felt like to disappear, maybe. To lose yourself.

I ran in the opposite direction from the sound, panic forcing my pace. At last the strange noise faded and I was back in Mae’s meadow, the mist behind me like a big white curtain. Katie ran up barking, sniffing me.

Walking back to the house, I stayed close to the dog, not sure what had happened in the clearing. Something was out there. Or maybe it was just me in the mist, lost forever.

I went back to the stump to split more kindling, the rhythm of my chopping and the clunk of the sticks hitting the pile on the ground comforting, familiar. Manual labor was the balm. Maybe disappearing was something I wasn’t ready to do.

…

That afternoon, I rode along in Mae’s truck as we drove up the main drag from the school, passing the town hall and library, the post office, and the feed store. Rockville wasn’t exactly a sprawling metropolis—my new hometown was a retail strip and then miles of houses and farms. Maybe in Seattle I’d have been embarrassed by Mae’s rusty vehicle, but jangling into a parking space at the town grocery, her truck was just another dirty pickup that needed a good hosing off and a paint job.

Well, that was a nice surprise, wasn’t it? I’m so glad they had room for you to enroll in some of the advanced classes, Mae said, turning off the engine.

Yeah, it’s fine, I said. I didn’t really care what classes I took. My new high school was super small, just an old-fashioned brick building with hardwood floors that creaked. It wasn’t anything like the newly built school I’d attended in Seattle, but Rockville High had a homey, friendly feeling to it, which was a good thing.

The secretary showed me the transcript your mother had your old school send. You made some good grades the year before last, Mae said. She adjusted her hat and checked her reflection in the truck’s rearview mirror.

I did okay. Before. I shrugged. School used to be important to me. I’d even wanted to be a doctor or something, maybe. Now I didn’t know what I was going to do after it all ended. Maybe I’d start out at community college and transfer somewhere. Maybe study psychology or something if I could get through the classes.

"Well, it’s time for another chance at making those good grades,

Reviews for The Clearing

[kraysaulis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm hesitant to choose a star rating for this book because I can't help but feel like it is not the book's fault, but the publication. Whoever line edited this must have done it drunk. There is literally a typo or missing word every other page throughout the whole thing (my edition was first edition, from what I see it was never reprinted.) That being said it SHOULD be reprinted. Someone at Harper Collins ought to pick this back up, actually edit it this time and reprint it. (Also, I'm looking for an editing job if they need help with this project.)

Seriously, this book has potential. It could be Jonathan Livingston Seagull or Ishmael. It has the philosophy dripping through it for fresh minds just being introduced to the topics of great thinkers of past. It's also an entertaining story. My wife and I read this aloud over a few nights and we were laughing together throughout it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

So four stars because of the author. No stars to whoever didn't pay attention to what the typist was doing.

[belleofthebook_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sixteen-year-old Amy has left Seattle, what's left of her friends, her mother, and her abusive boyfriend behind to go live with her great-aunt in a dilapidated trailer in the middle of Nowhereville. There isn't much out on her Aunt Mae's wooded land except for a thick mist that seems to sing to her whenever she tries to cross through it. There isn't anything on the other side, or is there? Just through the foggy veil is Henry, an 18-year-old who has relieved the same summer for decades. Stuck in 1944, he and his family can't move on because night after night he prays for it not to. When he meets Amy, though, he wishes that he could move on with her, but how can these two from vastly different worlds collide?The premise captured me instantly as I'm a fan of historical fiction, especially the WWII era. Henry's world was old-fashioned and slow, but I kept wanting more and never received it. Amy's side felt underdeveloped to me, especially with her friendships. The book was short and heartfelt, but I just wanted more when it ended. Overall, it was a good read, though it felt a little abrupt at the end.

[cdelli-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I chose to read a book called "The Clearing" by Heather Davis for my free book. I just saw it on the shelf and was drawn to the cover and started reading. I actually read this book in one day, only stopping to read to work a short shift at the reference desk. I literally couldn't put it down. It was a somewhat short story about a teenage girl, Amy, who moves in with her great aunt after she has some boy problems at home. She moves from Seattle to a small town in Skagit Valley and one day, upon exploring the land her aunt's trailer is on, she walks through this thick fog in the clearing and ends up traveling back to 1944 where she meets Henry. Henry, his mother and his grandfather, due to a prayer Henry made, are stuck in a time bubble where it is always summer, always the day before they got bad news about Henry's brother who went missing while serving in the war. Henry realizes that Amy is from the future but falls in love with her nonetheless. I won't say any more about the plot, but it was a sweet and simply story about struggle and change and of course, love. The element of magic wasn't played up, and while the idea of time travel was addressed, it wasn't of great importance as the story was more about the relationship that was created than the idea of time travel itself. I think teens would like this book because some of the struggles that Amy had such as the struggle to fit in in a new place - both living with her elderly aunt as well as moving from Seattle to a tiny town - as well as her struggle to make sense of the relationships she had with her parents (and their lack of interest in her life). It was also about finding love and learning how to decide what is right for you and how you should be treated. It isn't too much of a coming of age story, but it clearly shows one teen's struggle to find balance in the face of hurt and opposition.

[danielle_ruby · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this bittersweet romance, two teens living decades apart form a bond that will change their lives forever. Amy is drawn to the misty, mysterious clearing behind her Aunt Mae’s place because it looks like the perfect place to hide from life. A place to block out the pain of her last relationship, to avoid the kids in her new town, to stop dwelling on what her future holds after high school. Then, she meets a boy lurking in the mist—Henry. Henry is different from any other guy Amy has ever known. And after several meetings in the clearing, she’s starting to fall for him. But Amy is stunned when she finds out just how different Henry really is. Because on his side of the clearing, it’s still 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future. Amy’s crossing over to Henry’s side brings him more happiness than he’s ever known—but her presence also threatens to destroy his safe existence. In The Clearing, author Heather Davis crafts a tender and poignant tale about falling in love, finding strength, and having the courage to make your own destiny—a perfect book to slip into and hide away for awhile. I had randomly come across this book in the library and was immediately drawn to it. Perhaps is was the cover, which I thought was really pretty, or the True Love is Timeless stamped on the front. I'm a sucker for these kind of stories, I'll admit. But whatever the reason, I picked it up and checked it out. I didn't know at the time that this would become perhaps my favorite book. I loved this book from page one. Davis did a great job with telling the story. I liked how she didn't spoil Amy's past right away. She gave subtle hints suggesting she was a victim of an abusive relationship, but never actually confirming it until later on. I also loved how it was told from both Henry and Amy's perspectives. The plot never got dull and I was always anxious to see what would happen next. Amy was a very likable main character. Sometimes in novels like this, the leading ladies are irritating and overdramatic, however, despite the hardships she went through, Amy held her ground. Sure there were times when she broke down, but that's understandable considering her situation. She had a realistic relationship with her Aunt Mae; Mae was not overly protective, but she did care deeply for Amy, she just didn't want to be so controlling. They had a trusting relationship, more like a friendship which I thought was sweet. Henry-what is there to say about Henry? He's the perfect boy. Always a gentleman and extremely sweet. The fact he was from the 40s just gave him this cute, likable quality and made me want a Henry of my own lol The end was pretty good. I would have liked it to end a different way, of course, but this was a nice alternative. So, if you're into the whole paranormal romance twilight thing but are tired of vampires/werewolves like me (love them but vampires are being seriously overplayed and its kinda annoying, but i'll continue reading them anyway :)) then this book is perfect for you. Enjoy!

[renkellym · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Amy is recovering from an abusive relationship and has just moved in with her Aunt Mae, who lives in the middle of nowhere.Henry prayed one horrible night for things to stay the way they were, and now he and his family are stuck in a time loop, unable to walk beyond the mist that surrounds their property.When Amy and Henry meet, they find comfort in each other. Will comfort turn into something more…?My thoughts: The Clearing is a sweet little love story with a creative time-bending twist. Though from the blurb one might assume it’s all light and fluffy, Heather Davis incorporates some more serious topics as well—abusive relationships and escapism are prime examples. Everything is put together in such a way that no theme is overly prominent. The Clearing is subtle in its messages and its romance, which makes for a quick yet savory read.The Clearing’s supernatural aspect was very creative, but it wasn’t overplayed (a breath of fresh air). Henry’s direct involvement in the creation of the time loop built up his character and his flaws fantastically—plus, it’s always nice to have a back story on a supernatural occurrence, rather than it just appearing.The romance between Henry and Amy is really the highlight of The Clearing. It develops in the best way—slowly and sweetly. Henry’s 1940’s gentleman shtick is endearing, and while it takes Amy a bit to warm up to him due to her bad history with men, their love eventually blossoms into something beautiful.The Clearing is a great read for fans of star-crossed lovers and slow, sweet romance. It’s a fairly quick read, but the book is still meaningful and leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth.

[lynnsigman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Light read about Amy who has a troubled past and crosses over a time portal to meet Henry from 1944. Few red flags, if any, expect a few light references to sex. Ending is a bit simplistic, but I did breeze through it. Maybe read-alike for young adult Nicholas Sparks fans?

[gubry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read through this one pretty quickly, due to the fact that it was late. The Clearing was written quite nicely and it had a simple storyline that I enjoyed. I found the story's concept to be very interesting. Henry was a great character and once we're introduced to him, I instantly took a liking to him. While I do like Amy and feel sympathy toward her at times, I didn't like the parts where she was cold and rude to other character. I think Amy's abusive relationship was handled awkwardly at one part, I was glad that she was able to overcome her obstacle. I do wish that the minor characters had some more time to be shown into this book, like Mae and Jackson, since they were favorites for me. I feel bad for Jackson with all that rejection he took. I thought the romance was sweet and delicate. It's different from other Paranormal YA romances where it's obviously quite different. The concept of Henry was an interesting subject, but I wish it’d been described more. Still, having an explanation for why he’s in 1944 seemed fine, but not enough for me. That's just me though. One of the things I couldn't grasp was probably the fact when Henry's mother and grandfather didn't understand their situation and how it was strange until Amy comes into play. But I suppose that it is fitting for the story. The thing I've heard most about the Clearing was- the ending. I’ve heard that it was a bad ending that ruined the book from achieving five stars and etc. I for one, liked what Henry did, but wished that the scene was longer since the ending felt like it was rushed and wanted to get done already. It also left some holes out that I believe could have been fixed. Although I think it’s a nice book, just there are some things that can’t make me put it as four or five stars. Despite this, I'd give it to a friend if they want to read it.

[kishazworld-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't know where to start. This book had many things right, but to avoid spoilers it's hard not to use examples from the book. I shall try.This book could fall into several categories, a really nice cross-genres novel.There's history, there's paranormal aspects, fantasy/science fiction and it's contemporary. There is also romance. It tackles some interesting subjects including relationship abuse and self-esteem.It was an easy read and an enjoyable one.

[crazycatladyslibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In order to escape former boyfriend Matt's physical and mental abuse, sixteen year old Amy chooses to move to the country and live with her great-aunt Mae and her elderly German shepherd Katie for her senior year of high school. Mae's home isn't much, just a single-wide trailer nestled in a 40 acre valley of farmland, but it is safe and quiet. A place for Amy to start over and forget the troubles she had left behind. One day while throwing sticks for Katie to fetch, Amy stumbles upon a clearing in the woods behind Mae's house. The far end of the clearing is shrouded by fog, and when Amy crosses into the mist, she feels like she is entering into another world. There she meets a boy her age named Henry, who is different from any boy she has ever met. She feels comfortable with Henry in ways she simply can't be comfortable with the other teens in the area, and as their relationship grows, she comes to realize that there is more going on than Henry just being different. Henry lives in a world where every day is the same as the day before - literally. Frozen in time on the day of his birthday, in 1944, nothing ever changes for Henry, until Amy appears one day out of the mist. Amy's appearance in his life is at once exciting and threatening. Exciting because she brings change to the monotony of his days, but frightening because Henry is afraid that her appearance and continued presence in his reality will eventually cause his world to unravel. As Amy and Henry's relationship grows and Amy learns more about Henry's world, she decides to investigate the situation in her own time, and the information she discovers and eventually imparts to Henry and his family changes everything. As Amy helps Henry face his personal demons and lay them to rest, she also finds the courage within herself to face her own and move forward with her life as well. This was a beautiful story, if a bit farfetched, filled with poignant scenes of love, friendship, and healing. I enjoyed reading it, and even though some aspects of it were a bit farfetched and other aspects seemed to need more development, overall the story was intriguing and entertaining. I give this story 3.5 stars.

[jdquinlan_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

From the Back Cover:In this bittersweet romance, two teens living decades apart form a bond that will change their lives forever. Amy is drawn to the misty, mysterious clearing behind her Aunt Mae’s place because it looks like the perfect place to hide from life. A place to block out the pain of her last relationship, to avoid the kids in her new town, to stop dwelling on what her future holds after high school. Then, she meets a boy lurking in the mist—Henry. Henry is different from any other guy Amy has ever known. And after several meetings in the clearing, she’s starting to fall for him. But Amy is stunned when she finds out just how different Henry really is. Because on his side of the clearing, it’s still 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future. Amy’s crossing over to Henry’s side brings him more happiness than he’s ever known—but her presence also threatens to destroy his safe existence... My Review:I was really drawn to the story's premise of two young people from different times meeting and falling in love and the story starts off very well. The narrative passes back and forth between Amy in the present day and Henry in 1944. When Henry's brother was killed in the war and his mother overdosed in her grief, Henry prayed for his world to be like it was before and when he woke up the next morning, he found his prayer had been answered. His family is the way they were before, but now their farm is surrounded by a strange and heavy mist that cuts them off from the rest of the world.In 2010, Amy has just ended an abusive relationship and moved in with her elderly Aunt Mae for a new start. But she has a hard time adjusting and making friends at her new school. She is drawn to the mysterious mist that borders her Aunt Mae's property and walks through it one day to find a peaceful clearing and Henry. Henry pretty much instantly falls for Amy, after all she is the first person he's met in sixty-six years, and Amy quickly figures out that Henry is different from every other guy she's ever known. But as welcome as Amy is in Henry's world, her arrival begins to create big problems as the life Henry's worked so hard to keep begins to crumble and they wonder how long their relationship will be allowed to exist.As I was reading this book I loved it and I couldn't put it down, but upon finishing it I realized I didn't love it so much after all. Amy is a little blah and the author spends too much time on scenes involving Amy's classmates that don't have any impact on the story at all and detract from the time-warp romance. For me, Henry was the best part of the book. I loved his honest, country gentleman demeanor and could have spent all of my time on his idyllic little farm in 1944. The story is engrossing and moves along quickly but I found the ending to be ambiguous and dissatisfying. It didn't click for me and I realized that the story's main premise had been rather loosely constructed all along. This book had real potential and it was going along fairly well until the ending, but ultimately it didn't live up to what it could have been.

[jjameli_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Clearing is the story of an impossible love. After ending a abusive relationship Amy decides the best thing for her is to go live with her aunt, and leave the city behind. While trying to find her way there, she comes upon a foggy mist, and on the other side of this mist lives Henry, who is living in 1944. I thought the Clearing was a quick read, but left quite a bit of unanswered questions. Amy was slightly less interesting than Henry. The love between Henry and Amy is bittersweet, and doomed from the beginning. Two people living in two separate times at the same time. Uh, yeah..doomed. I actually got teary eyed while reading the ending. I was much more interested in what was going on in Henry’s life, he was a much more interesting character than Amy, but that could be because Henry is so different than the today’s young males. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but felt it something was missing, almost like it was a incomplete story. There was a beginning, and ending, but not to much meat in the middle. Pleasant, short and sweet.

[stephxsu · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

While the characters are varied and not clichéd, the plot moves so slowly that these potentially likable characters get bogged down and are never able to take off. Recommended for appreciators of adult romances or patient YA readers, who may best be able to get into this slowly satisfying love story.

[mckait · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't read many books in the Young Adult genre. This one intrigued me when I saw it onthe list of Vine books. I requested it and I am glad I did.Amy is a young girl who has had a tough time of it. She is about to enter her senior yearin high school, but has been in an bad relationship with a boy from her class. A very bad relationship.Her mother is not the supportive, helpful mother she needs, and so Amy tries to cope on her own.She ends up moving away to live in the country with her great Aunt Mae. A lovely and loving womanwho cares deeply about Amy, and hopes a new life in a new place will be just what she needs. Whileexploring her new home, Amy meets a young man named Henry. He is sweet and kind and strangely different.When Amy finds out why, it is at first hard for her to believe, then it just doesn't matter. Henry is good for Amyin many ways. The strangeness though, is because Henry lives in another time. It is 1944 in Henry;s world.This is really a sweet story about healing and love with a little bit of time warp thrown in for spice.A good read.

[lenoreva · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Moving to her Aunt Mae’s farm after escaping an abusive relationship, Amy finds herself attracted to a clearing surrounded by a deep fog where she meets Henry. It soon becomes apparent that Henry is stuck in the past – 1944 to be exact – reliving the same summer over and over. Amy and Henry form a bond that puts them both on the path to accepting life as it comes.I’m a sucker for a good time travel story, and this one – with its simple yet believable logic and undeniably clever storyline – really delivered on its premise. I’m also a sucker for impossible, bittersweet love affairs – the ones that sneak up on me and make me sigh when closing the last page.The atmosphere Davis creates in THE CLEARING is pitch perfect. It strikes me as a cross between TUCK EVERLASTING and THE OTHERS (the movie starring Nicole Kidman) – though the story itself is quite different. I might have liked to have seen the scenes between Amy and Henry fleshed out a bit more. I do like the restrained nature of the writing – it just that, though their relationship is tender and heartfelt, it never has the chance to soar to the lofty heights you might expect from a book that declares “True Love is Timeless” on the cover.

[c5ibarra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’ll admit Young Adult books are a guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t know what the draw is exactly but I love how they leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy. The Clearing is no exception. I absolutely adored this book. Heather Davis managed to fit a fantastic plot with well developed characters into just 228 pages. She has a beautiful writing style and I hope to see many more books from her in the future. Amy is a great character. She really shows the struggle between making the right choices instead of just the easiest one. She isn’t perfect but is trying her best to not let the mistakes in her past dictate her future. I love how the relationship between Amy and Henry progressed. He is such a gentleman and I love his old fashioned dialogue. Aunt Mae is a no nonsense type of lady that is guaranteed to remind you of someone in your family. It all wrapped up in what I consider the perfect ending.

[veens_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The synopsis gives you an exact picture of what this story is all about. Amy, who has been stuck in an abusive relationship moves to the country where her loving Aunt Mae lives... she basically runs away from her previous life to start afresh and to find herself and hopes things will be different. But as she realizes in due course, nothing could be different if one is not ready to be different. On one of the walks in her Aunt's backyard, she chances to find a clearing and on crossing it... she finds herself in a beautiful settings on 1940s and a family who is stuck in time, they are still living in the year 1944. She becomes friends with the boy in that clearing and starts visiting them every now and then. As there friendship blossoms into something more, both realize what they need to do to move forward in life. The writing is beautiful, it is lyrical and it is so nice to see words of love, friendship all woven so beautifully together. This novel apart from dealing with love, also deals with various issues in a young teens life - the choices that they make and the role of a parent in helping them out in the time of crisis. It explores the relationships between parent and child and the need of communication in life. It discusses abusive relationship and what keeps one hanging on to it even when it hurts and they know it is in vain. It teaches us that there was no point in fretting over tomorrow and that it has to come and that we need to accept what life holds for us now and then. And finally I got to read a novel on time travel and I loved it. My only qualm with this one was the ending, I did not expect it and it did not thrill but I felt some how happy for Amy, for her Aunt Mae and sad for Henry Briggs. I have come to accept the fact that it had to be like this! "The physical things get more difficult when you are old like me, and the emotional things are hard when you're young like you. I remember when I was your age, everything seemed like a crisis - everything was so big. Things happened that I thought I'd never get over." - pg. 121 My dear, time is the one thing you should pay attention to. One day, you'll find there's never enough of it. - pg 62.For its writing, it's superb dealing with so many issues and things... I recommend it wholeheartedly!