Somewhere Between Life and Death

December 1, 1990
This pair of novels is intended to be a compassionate, helpful portrait of a family coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. But because the family depicted is so bland, and the course of their grief so tritely charted, the end result resembles the case histories found in mawkish self-help books. Perfectionist Erin is often infuriated by her easygoing younger sister Amy. But when a near-fatal car accident leaves Amy comatose, the distraught Erin is unable to face the idea of turning off her sister's life-support system and donating her organs to science. Only after lashing out at everyone who does not seem properly grief-stricken is Erin finally able to accept her sister's death. But the saccharine saga does not end here: the second volume picks up the thread of the story a year after Amy's death. Though Erin has done her best to return to a normal life, she is plagued by debilitating headaches--the product of unresolved mourning and newly arisen family tensions. A cliche-spouting family therapist and a goofy would-be boyfriend lead Erin through numerous predictable confrontations with her feelings. These forgettable, lightweight novels have no place among the many wonderful books that offer young readers an authentic vision of what it means to love and lose. Ages 10-up.

March 1, 1991
Gr 6-9- -McDaniel offers two unique, well-crafted novels about the death of a teenage sibling. In Somewhere . . ., Erin lends her car to her younger sister, Amy, who has just gotten her driver's license. The inevitable horrid accident occurs, leaving Amy comatose, and the family decides to turn off her life-support system. Time to Let Go is the story of her family's recovery as each deals with the tragedy separately. A worthy message is incorporated into both novels: people's ability to surmount horrible happenings varies dramatically. -Alice Cronin, Mountainside Public Library, NJ