My how I loved this book "Finding Magdalena" and oh how I loved Maggie - dear, dear Maggie. My heart truly bled for her when she learned of the sudden and dreadful loss of her parents and with every wrong choice she made regarding boys or their atrocious behaviour towards her. So many things a girl of her age should not experience or encounter. Maggie is such a lovely, endearing and humble girl, you couldn't help but like her and you felt you were really with her, by her side all through the book. The writing style was a pleasure to read and the story was so easy to follow, the characters were well portrayed and I particularly liked that there was no unnecessary bad language and although this has a romantic storyline, it was clean and comfortable to read. Maggie (Magdalena) is left orphaned at the age of 15 - she learns to cope with her grief and excels academically. With the support of her friends Graham and Sarah she starts to build relationships - even though she's so used to being on her own - but can she truly rely on them and will she regret getting too close to the family of her best friend? Can she do enough to be accepted to the University of Malaga so she can trace her mother's estranged family? What will happen if she finds them? This is a wonderful coming of age style story depicting the strength and determination of a fiercely independent girl who sorely deserves happiness and security. There's tension, emotion and intrigue that makes this book a real page turner....and that ending! Wow!! I really enjoyed the way the author Shannon Condon crafted a superb story that drew you in instantly from the beginning and I am now swiftly moving on to the second in the intriguing 'Magdalena' series "The Brotherhood". A warm and well deserved 5 stars!