From Where I Watch You

August 1, 2015

Gr 10 Up-Kara McKinley, 16, is a baker at heart, with cookies being her specialty. When her art teacher tells her about a baking contest she jumps at the chance, meanwhile knowing that her mother will say no, since the contest is in San Francisco, a far cry from Seattle and the grand prize is a scholarship to the La Patisserie Pastry School in California. Kara just wants to escape her hometown, and her family, which was ripped apart when her older sister Kellen died in a drowning accident. The fallout from her death caused her parents to split up: her dad left, and her mother went from a high powered attorney to a Bible-thumping soup-making maven, opening up her own cafe in downtown Seattle. However, Kellen's death is particularly hard on Kara, as she constantly sees her sister's ghost. Things get really creepy when she begins receiving threatening notes from a stalker. Grogan weaves mystery, grief, betrayal, and a love triangle into this powerful debut. Readers will be guessing until the end, which is shocking as the final details are revealed. The alternating chapters between past and present make for a suspenseful and fast-paced read. The author tackles mature topics, the most prevelant is sexual abuse, betrayal, drugs, and disrespecting authority figures. VERDICT While best suited for mature teens, this novel will do well in YA collections where dark, realistic fiction is in demand.-Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN

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