Susan's work is sensitive without pandering; she is factual but tactful in dealing with our multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-socio-economic community.
Susan Burnside, The Miami Herald.

Susan is a resourceful and knowledgeable journalist who knows the business and does her work with utmost professionalism.
Kerry Gruson and Ana Rhodes, The New York Times.

Susan is a tenacious, passionate journalist with a lot to offer. She impressed me with the volume and originality of her story ideas and her deft touch on sensitive issues, finding sources and getting interviews often denied to other journalists. James Deacon, Maclean's.

Phenomenal. Really impressive.
Craig Offman, Chatelaine, on Susan's profile of Joanne Champagnie.

Susan writes like she's written forever. She writes with a poise and confidence that is inviting to follow while at the same time like looking down the barrel of a .44. She has a real style that she doesn't fake. It's consistent from story to story. She writes like she cares. And in this world, that's more precious than gold or oil. She writes with conviction and character. She has a way to walk us along the fence so that we can look over both sides as we go.
Excerpt from a reader's letter.

I've thoroughly enjoyed working with Susan on the many articles she has written for Reader's Digest Canada. She is a professional, and has never let us down. A sensitive and intelligent reporter and writer--with a conscience--she has a knack for getting to the heart of a story and telling it in a lively and informative way. Bonnie Munday, editor-at-large, Reader’s Digest-Canada

Developing literature for youth is all about passion: a passion to tell a story and to develop it to the highest standards. It's precisely that quality we see in Susan. Her desire to dig deeply and connect with the stories that matter, to explore themes that shape and change people's lives, makes her a writer to follow. I deeply appreciate her capacity to tell a story with compassion and insight and to relate it in terms that instill a similar passion in her readers.
Rick Wilks, Director, Annick Press Ltd.

...we have seen adult fiction writers, journalists of all stripes, and movie stars tackle children’s writing with the assumption that anyone can do it. Most fail miserably. Journalist Susan McClelland bursts out of the gate as a sensitive, articulate young adult writer who can separate emotional tripe from story telling. She gets it. McClelland is a welcome addition to the young adult stable of writers. One can hope that she pauses in this genre for awhile.
Part of the review of Bite of the Mango, by Sharon E. McKay, author of War Brothers.

My father told me about a button once he saw in a record store- the kind of button meant to be worn on your jacket. It said,"What would happen if everybody told the truth?". I can understand someone like Susan who refuses to walk away from an interview, and who presses on. I admire that in people; Susan incites honest responses naturally from those who read her work. Sheila Murphy, Ontario