Review: Ada Legend of a Healer

Title:  Ada Legend of a Healer
Author:  R.A. McDonald
Summary:  No sickness, no injuries, no pain, no limits.  If you had the power to heal, what would you do?  For fifteen-year-old Ada discovering that she can heal feels more like a curse than a gift.  When she learns of the mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance, and sees the indifference of so-called friends, she sets out for Paris to find her.  The power to heal protects her, but also has her hunted by a man who sees her as nothing more than his fountain of youth.  Ada realizes her true power is her will to survive, and that her only chance at freedom is to become the best at escaping.

**Disclaimer: A copy of the book was provided to me by the publisher, and I received no compensation in exchange for my honest review.**

The Dish:  Who wouldn't want to rid themselves of any and all sickness or heal any injury the moment after it happens?  To be free from such pitfalls as getting winded while running or healing muscles to help them grow stronger.  It would sound like a good deal to most people.  But for those with such abilities, like Ada, it is as much the dark side of the coin as it is the light especially when others want that skill for themselves alone.  No one should be forced to do something against their will, and Ada refuses to let anyone, even her aunt who is also a healer, tell her how she should use her gift.

At first I found it a little difficult to relate with Ada.  Granted, she has been shuffled around foster homes for most of her life, her mother disappeared when she was little, and she has the bizarre skill of being able to "see others' sickness."  That alone would probably make for a surly teenager.  Still sometimes her negative venting became a bit tiresome though I have to admit that trait adds to her realistic nature.

Ada also does a few things I thought were too risky given the situations she was in at the time, particularly when she was practicing her healing ability.  I know practice helps boost improvement, but doing so in a public place among a group of people wasn't the smartest thing to do.  I'll just chalk that up to her being a teenager and a novice when it comes to judgment.  It was a nice change to see her assisting those who at least helped her even if that in itself was a risk.

The supporting characters that were introduced once the story took Ada overseas were what really enabled her to grow as a person.  She had been denied real kindness for so long in her life, it was great to see Ada treated so well even by people she had only just met.  I really liked Madame Jardin and her willingness to give Ada a home in a strange country while she searched for her mother.  McDonald even adds hints of romance into Ada with the introduction of Daniel, a young man who instructs Ada in parkour, free running.  That was a unique touch as well since I haven't heard parkour used in another novel before, and McDonald was thinking outside the box with that addition.

Overall, the pacing was nice and steady, and I felt really drawn into the story.  There were some intense parts where I was on the edge of my seat while reading, and I have to say those parts added to the urgency I felt for Ada as she tried to stay one step ahead of those pursuing her as she searched for her mother.  Now, I just have one question for R.A. McDonald: When will the next part of Ada's story be ready for we readers???