The Boy on the Bridge

Starred review from May 27, 2013
Standiford (Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters) paints a somber portrait of communist Russia during the early 1980s in this love story tinged with intrigue. Laura, an American college student studying in Leningrad, is homesick and tired of “bitter cold, inedible food, filthy dorms, boring classes.” That’s before she meets Alyosha, a handsome young Russian artist who appears on a bridge just in time to save her from two aggressive gypsy women. Although Laura has been warned not to “fall” for Russian men, who might have ulterior motives, she is drawn to her mysterious rescuer and arranges to meet with him secretly. Their rendezvous become increasingly frequent and intense, and the city that once seemed so bleak to Laura suddenly comes to life. It also becomes more dangerous, making Laura wonder whether Alyosha’s affection is sincere. The desperation behind the Iron Curtain is dramatically portrayed as Laura witnesses the restrictions Alyosha and his friends endure. Besides offering readers passion and suspense, Standiford raises thought-provoking questions about how far people should go for the sake of love and freedom. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah Burnes, the Gernert Company.

June 15, 2013
A young woman studying abroad in Leningrad in the early 1980s falls for a young man she meets there in this uniquely suspenseful romance. Nineteen-year-old university student Laura is warned repeatedly about young Soviets so desperate to escape to the United States that they'll do anything--even con American students into marrying them. However, when Laura meets Alyosha, she is electrified. He is the exact opposite of the sarcastic and emotionally distant guy who's been messing with her head back home. Alyosha earnestly quotes poetry and brings flowers, and soon she's convinced herself that their relationship is an exception to the rule. While many will need to spend some time familiarizing themselves with an era unfamiliar to contemporary teens, Standiford balances just the right elements to make this story work. Readers will see that Laura's insecurities, which will endear some to her and likely frustrate others, play into her willingness to believe Alyosha is her true love, but there is such a surplus of mystery created around his background and circumstances that anything seems possible. The mood of Leningrad through Laura's eyes shifts throughout the novel, the city described in a simple, often elegant style. An unlikely love story set in an unusual time and place; there are no happy endings or easy resolutions here. (Romance. 14 & up)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-In this love story set during the Cold War, 19-year-old Laura Reid is an American studying in Leningrad. She meets Alyosha on the bridge near her dormitory, and their star-crossed love is immediate and dangerous. They live at a time when every move is watched and luxuries are scarce. Laura shows Alyosha what is available to foreigners in Russia during a covert trip to the Berioska Shop. In turn, he gives her a glimpse into his secret past and a present that creates more questions than it answers. As the end of the semester draws near, so does their time together. Although Laura has heard that Russians will do anything to get to the U.S., she doesn't want to believe that Alyosha might be one of them. Readers are left wondering until the very end about his true intentions. Standiford accurately re-creates the bleakness of life in the Soviet Union in the early 1980s. This is a great book for teens who enjoy tragic romances with a historical twist.-Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2013
Grades 9-12 Russia has always fascinated Laura. When she gets the chance to study abroad in the Soviet Union in 1982, she leaps at the opportunity to experience the vibrant, bombastic culture she has learned about. The reality is different: the environment is dour and the locals unfriendly, including the sticky-fingered Gypsies on the bridge between her dorm and the nearest town. When said Gypsies accost her, Laura is saved by Alyosha, a handsome artist. They embark on a slow burn of a romance, which changes Laura's emotional landscape, enlivening and unfurling Russian culture during an era when the past was suppressed and love with foreigners was verboten. This is a romance filled with foreboding, as Standiford works hard to make Alyosha come across as anything other than opportunistic, but still there's an air of danger as Laura is conscious that Alyosha might try to use her to leave the country. While more straightforward than the author's quirky How to Say Goodbye in Robot (2009), this is nonetheless a delightful escapist read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)