Outside In

May 13, 2002
Set in the '60s (like her humorous and original The Beetle and Me: A Love Story), Young's third novel may disappoint fans of that debut title. Despite some well-crafted moments, this tale of Chérie, who turns 13 in the course of the book, moves at a sluggish pace. The novel seems arbitrarily divided into four parts that take place in Connecticut in April, July, October and December of 1968. Several big events occur, and as a news carrier, Chérie learns of them first: riots in the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, the escalation of the Vietnam war and the disappearance of a girl her age in a neighboring town. But readers unfamiliar with historic events may not recognize their effect on the protagonist, and a prolonged preoccupation with the teen who disappeared mounts and ebbs sporadically. Similarly, her platonic relationship with neighbor and classmate Dave Asconti builds to the brink of romance then erupts occasionally in near violence, and although such erratic behavior seems concomitant with adolescence, it's often difficult to detect where Chérie stands on the relationship, even though she is narrating. Subplots involving her friendship with Joanie and the building of an elf house peter out. The most moving moments are anchored in details: Chérie teaching her younger sister to ride a bike; an awkward moment when Dave, whose family is moving, comes to say goodbye. These are the scenes that offer readers a sense of who Chérie really is. Ages 10-up.

May 1, 2002
Gr 6-9-It's 1968, and almost-13-year-old Ch rie Witkowski is struggling to understand her unpredictable world as changes occur in herself, her family, her neighborhood, and the world at large. She comes to dread her paper route, which thrusts at her daily headlines of Vietnam, assassinations, and the violence erupting in America. Neighboring families are torn by disagreements over the war and by marital problems. In Ch rie's own family, the anticipation of a new baby necessitates putting their house on the market. She feels that her world is out of control. When a 13-year-old girl in a neighboring town is reported missing and then found dead, Ch rie's growing fearfulness becomes a terrified paralysis as she takes to her bed, refusing to go out and face all of the bad news. The increasing awareness that emerging adulthood brings consumes her in a fear that seems overdone and nearly pathological. She has a brief epiphany about moving beyond it by doing simple things. Lots of subplots are woven into the first-person narrative: the blossoming of first love; the anger of a teenage boy; sibling rivalry; midlife crises among the adults. Young adeptly paints an authentic picture of the '60s, but Ch rie's fearful self-absorption may have limited appeal to young readers. A supplemental purchase where interest in the period is high.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2002
Gr. 6-10. It's 1968, and the country is being pulled apart by Vietnam, protests, assassinations, and the election. As Cherie folds newspapers for her paper route, she comes face to face with one grim headline after another. And if the political news were not bad enough, Cherie is haunted by the disappearance and subsequent death of a girl her age in a nearby town. In addition, friendships are changing, beloved neighbors are moving, and the easy confidence of younger years seems to be floating away. Pulling herself and her world together becomes a daunting task. The current events seem overbearing at times in this coming-of-age story, yet Cherie eventually comes to terms with the bewildering upheavals of life--with help from her parents, who come across as sensitive, loving, and involved, positive without being saintly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)