Heartache and Other Natural Shocks

August 15, 2015
She said, she said, with a dose of Shakespearean intrigue. Julia's cozy, stable life is upended when her parents announce that she and her brother are moving with their mother to Toronto while their father stays behind in Montreal with the family store. Carla's barreling through adolescence with an equal mix of sass and sex appeal when Jules moves in next door. Both girls are knocked for a loop when Ian, the bad boy with the come-hither eyes, rolls into town on his motorcycle. As they take turns telling the story of their disastrous grade 11 year, quiet, brainy Jules and brazen, mouthy Carla square off in the time-honored tradition of vicious high school rivalries. Their drama class's production of Hamlet sets the stage for both complications and satisfying plot twists. Jules' profound introspection and Carla's utter lack thereof make them fitting, often comic, foils for each other as the tension between them-and for each of them, with Ian-gets higher with each chapter. Along the way, the supporting characters are sweetly if somewhat broadly drawn, coming off mostly true to type. The story is grounded in the sense of place created by Leznoff's descriptions of Montreal and Toronto. Steeped in the history of the Quebecois separatist movement and 1970s fashion and pop culture, this isn't groundbreaking stuff, but it is a refreshing break from contemporary teen fiction. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Political unrest in Montreal is the reason Jules's parents give when they tell her of their decision to move to the Toronto suburbs. It's the early 1970s, and the 15-year-old is heartbroken to leave her grandparents, her friends, her cousins, and everything familiar to travel with her mom and brother to a rental house, new school, and (hopefully) new friends. Dad is staying behind, trying to sell his business, but so far there are no buyers. The transfer to a new school starts out badly and gets worse as Jules and Carla, the girl who lives next door, instantly dislike each other. Unfortunately, they are in several classes together and both are attracted to another newcomer, sexy bad boy Ian. Even worse, the two girls both try out for the same part in the school play. When Jules decides to sneak back to Montreal to live with her dad, she discovers the real reason why her mother moved them to Toronto and her heart is completely broken. A school crisis finally forces Jules to gain perspective in her life and to begin healing. Told from Jules's and Carla's alternating viewpoints, this insightful, compassionate, and darkly humorous novel explores the agonies and ecstasies of being a teen in 1970s Canada. Descriptions of sexual activity and alcohol use, while common to that time period, may limit the audience to mature readers. VERDICT Well-developed characters experiencing parental problems, jealousy, betrayal, lust, and friendship will captivate older teens.-Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

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