Hand Me Down

February 6, 2012
Thorne’s debut is a dramatic game of musical chairs wherein teenage sisters Elizabeth and Jamie Reid struggle to find their respective places in the world after their divorced parents’ delinquencies—Dad’s a drunk and Mom is remarried to a sexually predacious ex-con—force them to take life into their own hands. Liz initially goes to live with Aunt Tammy, though Uncle Sam isn’t fond of the new houseguest, and Liz misses her sister. Jamie moves in with Dad and proves true the adage about the apple and the tree when she starts skipping school and hanging around liquor stores. Both girls eventually wind up in the conservative Christian home of Aunt Deborah, where Jamie finds comfort and stability, but Liz is left yearning for Aunt Tammy. An explosive encounter finally forces the broken family to face the sad reality of their situation, though not everyone is ready to reform. Thorne writes convincingly from an adolescent’s perspective, admitting to having mined her own experiences. The family is believably and sadly dysfunctional, and readers will empathize with each character through their highs and lows. Despite a lackluster ending, this is an intriguing first outing by a talented new writer. Agent: Trena Keating, Keating Literary.

Starred review from March 1, 2012
First-time author Thorne wears her heart on her sleeve in this semi-autobiographical tale about a 14-year-old who juggles equal amounts of hope and despair in her chaotic daily life. Liz and younger sister Jaime have learned they can only count on one another after their mom, Linda, marries a convicted sex offender. Terrance, who parades around the small apartment half-dressed and leers at Liz, makes it clear that if she complains he'll take it out on her sister. But when Terrance's parole officer receives a tip that the ex-con is in violation of parole by living with the two girls, their mom's solution is to farm the girls out to other family members. Jaime moves in with their dad, a lying drunk who mercilessly beat Linda during their marriage, while Liz is farmed out to Terrance's brother, Gary, and his wife. Liz worries she's missing too much school and is haunted by the fear that their father will repeat history and drive drunk with Jaime in tow. Liz continues to narrate her journey with prose that vibrates with intelligence and passion. Although she is just beginning her freshman year of high school, Liz manages to carry around with her a heavy burden of responsibility for her sister. Thorne writes Liz as world-weary and mature in ways children should not have to be. From the mother who willingly throws over her children for the promise of marriage to a man who uses her, to the well-meaning Aunt Deborah, who offers Liz a home she cannot accept, Thorne populates her pages with characters who are fascinating and sharply drawn. Failed by the adults in her life and forced to be the grown-up when she should be experiencing first dates and football games, Liz is a wise, wry, wonderful heroine.

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March 15, 2012

Having survived for years living with an alcoholic father, 14-year-old Liz and her younger sister, Jaime, must now endure life with their mother's new husband, Terrance, a sex offender just out of prison. Because the terms of Terrance's probation prohibit him from being around minors, Liz is devastated when her mother chooses Terrance over her daughters. The sisters separate and bounce from relative to relative. Liz spends several months with Aunt Tammy and discovers the joys of a good home life: delicious homemade meals, artful surroundings, and a caring adult. However, rejection, lies, and worry are never far away as Liz struggles to protect her disintegrating family. VERDICT Debut novelist Thorne is at her best in the evocative descriptions of place--the frozen beauty of a Utah winter, the prosaic decor of a suburban household--but this reader was often confused by the sudden shifts in the characters' behaviors and emotions. Still, Thorne deals sensitively with a difficult topic, and the novel's adolescent perspective is sure to find popularity with YA audiences. [See Prepub Alert, 9/30/11.]--Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Univ. Law Lib., Malibu, CA

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