If Only

August 1, 2013
In 1968, 15-year-old twins Pam and Danny have difficulty coping when both blame themselves after they're attacked on their way home from school. Fortunately, the attacker does no serious harm to Pam, but he threatens Danny into inaction. When Danny tells what happened, their dad blames him for not helping his sister. Meanwhile, Pam stays home from school and worries about how the students at their high school will treat her when they find out about the attack; she's sure she's to blame, since she was wearing a miniskirt. Formerly bold Pam hides in her room and in despair, cuts off her long hair; once-quiet Danny indulges in minor vandalism. Both twins focus on what might have been if only each had done one thing differently. Citra writes in alternating chapters focusing on how the siblings try to cope emotionally with the attack and how each learns some strength from the experience. Although this easily could be a contemporary story, and the historical setting plays little part in the central drama, she sets it in 1968, lending a bit of nostalgia to the narrative, describing Martin Luther King's assassination, hippies and pot smoking. It's a sensitive tale, offering emotional insight into the two adolescents, their friends and family. An engaging portrait of siblings caught in the blame game. (Historical fiction. 12-16)

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January 1, 2014

Gr 7-10-Fifteen-year-old twins Pam and Danny are walking home when Pam is the victim of an attempted rape. Although she is not seriously hurt, damage is done to the relationship between the siblings. Pam retreats to her bedroom and cuts off her long hair. Danny, feeling guilty that that he didn't protect his sister, embarks on an independent search for her attacker and learns more about his family along the way. Their father, suffering from a series of personal losses-including the death of his wife-is unable to offer meaningful support to his children. Both teens blame themselves for what happened. Pam feels that "if only" she had not been wearing a miniskirt and makeup, she would not have been attacked while Danny convinces himself that "if only" he had defended her, she would not have suffered. Moving between the twins' voices, Citra tells the story of two young people who, in order to heal, learn to appreciate the strength of their bond. Set in the spring of 1968, the story references the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., drugs, and hippies, but they are tangential elements. Ultimately, through the help of new friends and a kind neighbor, Pam and Danny recover from their shared trauma, resulting in a satisfying conclusion. Give this novel to teenagers who like realistic fiction.-Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2013
Grades 7-10 Fifteen-year-old twins Danny and Pam are walking home when Pam is attacked and narrowly escapes being sexually assaulted. Her brother is frozen into inaction, and convinced that Pam blames him, he is determined to find the attacker and bring him to justice. Pam blames herself and is not surprised that Danny is avoiding her. Set in 1968 British Columbia, the nostalgic references to hippie fashion don't detract from the contemporary feel of the story. Short chapters alternate between Danny's and Pam's perspectives and illustrate with heartbreaking clarity the growing distance between the once-close twins as they cope separately with their feelings of guilt. The characters' reactions to a highly traumatic experience are realistic without being graphic, and sensitive but in no way sentimentalized. Citra's sparse and direct writing move the action along at a pace that will draw readers in and keep them reading until the novel's emotionally satisfying, if somewhat tidy, ending.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)