A number of years ago, one of the most interesting phenomena associated with Canadian young people’s literature was the number of women writing highly successful young adult fiction featuring male protagonists. Today, one of the more notable trends is the number of male teachers – like Eric Walters – writing popular fiction for children and young adults. With several young adult novels and “readers’ choice” awards to his credit, Walters has joined the company of such established teacher-authors as Kevin Major, Martyn Godfrey, Eric Wilson, Perry Nodelman, Don Aker, and Frank O’Keeffe.

Diamonds in the Rough, Walters’ latest offering for YA readers, is a fairy tale with a contemporary twist. It brings an antagonistic damsel-in-distress together with a knight in tarnished armour to do joint battle against a child-welfare ogre. In Walters’ hands, it’s a story that captures interest early on and reads like the wind.

When the book begins, Sky Chambers, a 14-year-old, has three younger sisters and a much-loved free-spirited mother who relies far too heavily on Sky’s strong sense of duty and responsibility. In less than five pages, however, circumstances change drastically. Mrs. Chambers is killed by a drunk driver and the girls are placed in three different foster homes. Full of resentment, fear, and an unwavering sense of family obligation, Sky determines to use any possible means to keep her family together – including using accident settlement money to bribe a newly discovered uncle to stand as legal guardian and provide the sisters with a home. The fact that Uncle Cole is an ex-biker with a criminal record makes the plan a long shot – particularly in the eyes of Sky’s social worker and the agency she works for.

While Sky and Cole join forces, it’s an uneasy partnership. Sky is suspicious and fearful of everyone and Cole has a mysterious past and secrets he’s keeping. Inevitably, circumstances come to a head and the girls’ and Cole’s fates are seriously up in the air.

While it’s strong on plot and suspense and its title is a good assessment of its major characters, Diamonds in the Rough has a few rough edges. The size of the chip on Sky’s shoulder may challenge some readers’ empathy with her. Walters also treats the story’s child welfare operation and its representatives with a particularly heavy hand. Not only is the agency lawyer a blatant case of over-the-top caricature but the character is poorly served by the book’s editor, who failed to detect and correct a male-to-female sex change between pages 123 and 127.

Walters’ readers’ choice awards indicate that he knows how to use plot and style to hook his audience. Diamonds in the Rough will add to his reputation in that regard. It’s an engaging story that’s an amazingly speedy read.