Raven Rising

Derr, Christine Hartman. Raven, Rising

July 7, 2026 by Heartdrum

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Raven moves from Oklahoma to Bear Creek Falls with her Aunt Coral after the death of both of her parents in a household accident that Raven believes is her fault. Since she was at her friend Jade's for a sleepover, she survived. Her father was Cherokee, and her mother was of Scottish and English descent, and Raven feels adrift from her community, especially since she has been told that she doesn't "look" Native. Even though the move has been chaotic, Coral insists that Raven start school right away, and things go badly. She gets an incomplete schedule, and runs afoul of Stella, a popular blonde girl who then makes it her mission to make Raven's life difficult. Raven misses baking, which she did with her mother, but refuses to do any now, even though ingredients "call" to her, somewhat magically. Trying to escape cinnamon at a local bakery, she happens upon a gazebo in the woods, where she meets Hazel, who is Black, and Laurel. The girls want to befriend Raven, and tell her that the gazebo might be magical. Stella's meanness increases, and in a moment of rage, Raven yells some Cherokee words at her, which Stella interprets as a curse. Classmate Will, who is also studying Tsalagi, calls Raven out on her behavior, and she apologizes. She explains that her father was interested in the language, so she's been studying it. Since there is a Fall Festival in town, and an All Hallow's Eve Ball at the school, Hazel and Laurel want Raven to enter some of her baked goods, since they are working on costumes. However, the costumes, as well as Raven's everyday outfits, run afoul of the strange and stringent dress code, creepily enforced by Mr. McKell. This covers everything from chokers to leggings as pants to hoodies, but seems inequitably enforced. With the help of the school counselor, Ms. Barton, Raven stands up for the girls at school, and also uncovers the facts that Mr. McKell doesn't have a teaching license or even a college degree! Things are  better at school, and Raven continues to deal with the grief over the death of her parents as she becomes closer to Aunt Coral. 

Strengths: Books about magical baking have long been popular, from Littlewood's 2012 Bliss to LaRocca's 2019 Midsummer's Mayhem to McClaren's 2025 Crumble. It's frequently an outlet for emotions, so it makes sense that Raven has a difficult relationship with the activity after her mother's death. It was good to see that there were students willing to defend her, even though Stella was not pleasant. Aunt Coral is great, and tries her best to make sure Raven is thriving, even making sure she continues online therapy with Dr. Marie. The inclusion of Cherokee culture is good to see, as is Raven's grappling with her mixed identity. 
Weaknesses: The main storyline ended up being about the dress code. Since my school's dress code is basically "make sure private parts are covered" I don't think the story will resonate with my students. Stella was a stereotypical bully, and seemed to target Raven for no good reason. I would have liked to see more about the magical gazebo, which would have been much more interesting. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Farr's Margie Kelley Breaks the Dress Code or Firestone's Dress Coded.