The Tenderness of Thieves

March 30, 2015
The summer before her senior year, Jane Calvetti should be enjoying the beach and the company of her three best friends. Instead, she is reliving the terror of a violent break-in that resulted in the death of her father. Against the caution of her friends and many of those in the close-knit New England town where she’s lived her whole life, she becomes involved with local bad boy Handel Davies; despite his brooding eyes, notoriously dangerous friends, and secretive ways, he makes her feel not just safe, but alive and loved. As summer romances go, theirs is full of passion, tenderness, and fun. The good-girl meets bad-boy story line from Freitas (The Survival Kit), a PW contributor, plays out well, and readers will enjoy the chemistry that simmers between Jane and Handel. The mystery of Jane’s father’s death, woven throughout, doesn’t ramp up until the last few pages, at which point savvy readers may not be completely shocked by the final revelation. But for a summer romance with a twist, Freitas delivers. Ages 14–up. Agent: Miriam Altshuler, Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency.

March 1, 2015
A smart, straight-laced teen who's survived a terrifying crime falls hard for a boy from a family with a bad reputation in this summer romance shot through with suspense.Jane yearns for happiness following the events of the year before, when her father, a police officer, came to her aid and was murdered while she was blindfolded and held at knife point during a burglary. However, summer has barely begun in their insular New England town when Jane suddenly finds herself pursued by gorgeous bad boy Handel. Her tightknit group of friends is convincingly divided in their opinions about the burgeoning relationship. In contrast, Jane's mother, a talented seamstress whose work draws customers across the town's sharply portrayed class divide, is believably supportive and open with her daughter, whom she pushes toward making some peace with the past even as she trusts her to make her own decisions about love and sex. The meandering, dreamy language-grass is "tender with the newness of life," and Jane's desire makes her heart "flutter like the wings of a hummingbird"-is perfect for the hazy, hot summer days depicted, though the mystery isn't served as well by the languid pace.Readers will likely solve the puzzle before Jane does, but fortunately, there's plenty to enjoy here besides the whodunit. (Mystery. 14-18)

April 1, 2015

Gr 10 Up-Seventeen-year-old Jane is a good girl living in a small coastal town where everyone knows everyone. In the summer before her senior year, Jane decides that she wants to be a little bad. Why not? She deserves it after the year she's had. The previous February, she was the victim of a burglary and is now haunted by the violence of that night. So, to put that in the past, Jane begins to date the local bad boy, Handel, and flirts with the rich guys that come to visit her small town. And the teen revels in how she and her girlfriends are so adored now that they have gotten older and beautiful. Jane's friends are loyal but two-dimensional and do not stray from their pre-assigned roles: the promiscuous friend who is supportive, the cynic who criticizes everything Jane does, and the mediator who is always level-headed. Jane's internal dialogue begins to wear thin, particularly when describing her love for Handel and her new popularity. The violence from the previous winter is the main story line of the book and the resolution is well written; it is just unsurprising. VERDICT Sadly, a major plot twist will be too obvious to most readers, and this beachy thriller wraps up exactly as expected.-Lisa Nabel, Dayton Metro Library, OH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 It's the summer before Jane Calvetti's senior year, and she is looking forward to hanging out with her girlfriends at the beach in her New England town. It's been a very difficult winter: her policeman father was murdered during a burglary where Jane was held hostage. Missing her beloved dad and suffering from survivor's guilt, Jane welcomes the distraction of bad boy Handel Davies, a devastatingly handsome young fisherman who singles out Jane, awakening new desires and allowing her to discover there's more to her than the good girl she has always been. But there is also more to Handel and his interest in Jane than meets the eye. Freitas uses the clever device of slowly unveiling the murder scene, interspersing it with the current story, so the reader learns what happened along with Jane as she recovers her repressed memories. Both the romance and mystery are skillfully told, with smooth, believable dialogue and well-developed characters who include neighboring privileged rich boys, Jane's townie crowd of poorer families, and sympathetic adults. The surprise ending is likely to spark discussion, especially for those with strong feminist viewpoints.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)