“Julie Johnston writes with deft assurance and a distinctive narrative voice of the lives of young adults. Her subtle and tightly-crafted novels are original, emotionally-engaging and wise. Wry humour, which runs through her work like a bright thread, grows organically out of a clear-eyed affection for the foibles of her characters. In precise evocations of place she reveals landscapes permeated with story. Although her body of work is as yet modest in quantity she has already made a most distinguished contribution to Canadian children’s literature.”
— 2002 Vicky Metcalf Award Jury (Deirdre Baker, Sarah Ellis, and Tim Wynne-Jones)