Awards and Reviews
The Bookfest Award Winner
I'm pleased to announce that Call of the Desert: Crossing won Second Place in Fiction-YA-Fantasy at The BookFest the weekend of October 26–27, 2024!
BookLife Prize 2024 Quarterfinalist
The BookLife Prize judges announced the quarterfinalists on October 18, 2024. I was delighted to find Call of the Desert: Crossing among the few books selected for this honor! The high score given as part of the Critic's Report gave it a good chance!
This mystical adventure, set in 1970s Saudi Arabia, follows Claire as she settles into her new life in the desert, facing typical adolescent hurdles—including first love—and more unconventional challenges, like biblically proportioned plagues that seem to be related to Claire in some way.
Vogel captures the poignant feelings of adolescence, including wanting independence but craving acceptance from adults, and Claire's quest for self-discovery is often stymied by her intense fear of rejection from loved ones—universal themes that will resonate with the intended audience.
—BookLife Prize 2024 Critic’s Report for Call of the Desert: Crossing, 10/9/2024
A raw, evocative, and atmospheric coming-of-age story.
Vogel delves into the complexities of self-discovery through a young girl’s journey in a new culture in her compelling novel.
At its core, the story explores identity, resilience, and the search for common ground across cultures. Vogel weaves these themes with restraint, allowing them to emerge through the characters’ experiences. The result is a powerful examination of the human spirit’s strength and adaptability in adversity.
A must-read.
—The Prairies Book Review, Call of the Desert: Crossing, 10/2/2024
Beautiful coming-of-age fusing foreign culture with biblical stories.
Vogel crafts a magical world in this YA debut, inspired by her own childhood experiences, that follows 12-year-old Claire Hamilton, who has just moved to Saudi Arabia with her family.
Lovers of magical realism, animals, and coming-of-age adventures will embrace this heartwarming story.
From BookLife Reviews FAQs: "An Editor's Pick, indicated by a lightning bolt and ‘Editor's Pick’ box to the left of the title or at the beginning of the review, is a book of outstanding quality."
—Publishers Weekly BookLife Review, Call of the Desert: Crossing, 9/14/2024