Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com
Delilah Hannaford's life seems to be falling apart. She used to have good grades, but lately they've been going downhill. Her friends are drifting away, and her "boyfriend" is really a non-boyfriend. And, of course, her mother constantly refuses to talk about the fight that messed up the Hannaford family eight long years ago.
Then, one night after Delilah has sneaked back in to her house and is having yet another fight with her mother, they get a phone call. It is Delilah's aunt Rachel, and she's calling to tell them of Delilah's grandmother's death. The very next morning, Delilah and her mother are packed and on their way to her grandmother's estate to spend the whole summer settling everything. Not her idea of a good time.
Suddenly, Delilah is confronted by the painful past of her estranged family. Everyone in town says she looks like her aunt, who died when she was only 19 years old. All Delilah wants to know is what caused her family to drift apart those eight years ago. Neither her mom nor aunt are willing to discuss it, and no one else in town seems to know anything about what happened.
But everything in Red Falls is not as bad as it seems. Not long after arriving, Delilah runs into the oh-so-attractive Patrick. When they were little, they used to play together during the summer every single day. They were the best of friends and are now reunited. Also, there's a girl named Emily who might just become a very good friend of Delilah's. All in all, this summer spent with the last two Hannaford sisters at her grandmother's estate could end up being the best of Delilah's life - and could actually fix her.
From the beginning of this book I was sucked in. Delilah seemed like such a troublemaker at first, and I wanted to understand what caused her to be that way. And as soon as the family fight was mentioned I was dying to know what happened! I loved all of the characters, especially Delilah and Patrick. From the moment they lay eyes on each other again, you can tell a summer romance is soon going to blossom.
Sarah Ockler has a way with words that just kept me not wanting to put the book down. It definitely was as good (or possibly even better) than her first book, TWENTY BOY SUMMER. If you're looking for a book that reminds you of everything related to summer and that even has a bit of mystery thrown in about a troubled girl, then this is the book for you.
Oh, and one more thing - the big secret of the family fight totally shocked me, so be prepared for that!
Delilah Hannaford's life seems to be falling apart. She used to have good grades, but lately they've been going downhill. Her friends are drifting away, and her "boyfriend" is really a non-boyfriend. And, of course, her mother constantly refuses to talk about the fight that messed up the Hannaford family eight long years ago.
Then, one night after Delilah has sneaked back in to her house and is having yet another fight with her mother, they get a phone call. It is Delilah's aunt Rachel, and she's calling to tell them of Delilah's grandmother's death. The very next morning, Delilah and her mother are packed and on their way to her grandmother's estate to spend the whole summer settling everything. Not her idea of a good time.
Suddenly, Delilah is confronted by the painful past of her estranged family. Everyone in town says she looks like her aunt, who died when she was only 19 years old. All Delilah wants to know is what caused her family to drift apart those eight years ago. Neither her mom nor aunt are willing to discuss it, and no one else in town seems to know anything about what happened.
But everything in Red Falls is not as bad as it seems. Not long after arriving, Delilah runs into the oh-so-attractive Patrick. When they were little, they used to play together during the summer every single day. They were the best of friends and are now reunited. Also, there's a girl named Emily who might just become a very good friend of Delilah's. All in all, this summer spent with the last two Hannaford sisters at her grandmother's estate could end up being the best of Delilah's life - and could actually fix her.
From the beginning of this book I was sucked in. Delilah seemed like such a troublemaker at first, and I wanted to understand what caused her to be that way. And as soon as the family fight was mentioned I was dying to know what happened! I loved all of the characters, especially Delilah and Patrick. From the moment they lay eyes on each other again, you can tell a summer romance is soon going to blossom.
Sarah Ockler has a way with words that just kept me not wanting to put the book down. It definitely was as good (or possibly even better) than her first book, TWENTY BOY SUMMER. If you're looking for a book that reminds you of everything related to summer and that even has a bit of mystery thrown in about a troubled girl, then this is the book for you.
Oh, and one more thing - the big secret of the family fight totally shocked me, so be prepared for that!
FIXING DELILAH, Sarah Ocklers sophomore novel, was in my opinion not quite as strong as her debut novel Twenty Boy Summer, but is still a solid contemporary read that will especially touch the hearts of those who enjoy their contemporary YAs with a strong dose of familial angst and growth.
The strongest element of this book is its dealings with the emotional subtleties and complexities that occur in familial relationships. FIXING DELILAH contains the amount of misinterpreted exchanges, conversational avoidances, and shocking secrets that one usually expects from a family-oriented TV drama. Delilah is acting out against her rigid, talking-averse mother, and conflicts resolve in tearful revelations at the end, etc. These types of family conflicts are not really new in YA contemporary lit, but they still make for a decent read.
Delilahs budding romance with a childhood friend feels rather idealistic for my taste, but is nevertheless charming, especially probably for younger readers who are just being introduced to the great wide world of YA contemporary reads. FIXING DELILAH does a decent job of portraying the long process of healing for a familial drowning in resentment and guilt, even if I feel like it accomplishes this with tried-and-true contemporary character types.
The strongest element of this book is its dealings with the emotional subtleties and complexities that occur in familial relationships. FIXING DELILAH contains the amount of misinterpreted exchanges, conversational avoidances, and shocking secrets that one usually expects from a family-oriented TV drama. Delilah is acting out against her rigid, talking-averse mother, and conflicts resolve in tearful revelations at the end, etc. These types of family conflicts are not really new in YA contemporary lit, but they still make for a decent read.
Delilahs budding romance with a childhood friend feels rather idealistic for my taste, but is nevertheless charming, especially probably for younger readers who are just being introduced to the great wide world of YA contemporary reads. FIXING DELILAH does a decent job of portraying the long process of healing for a familial drowning in resentment and guilt, even if I feel like it accomplishes this with tried-and-true contemporary character types.
