One Lonely Degree

May 25, 2009
When 15-year-old Finn's childhood friend Jersy returns to town, Finn is instantly attracted to him but says nothing as he gets together with her best friend, Audrey. Audrey is almost too good to be true, providing an endless supply of sympathy for Finn's complaints about her parents' fighting. Audrey is also Finn's cheerleader as Finn tries to work up courage to talk to her crush and deal with the aftermath of an ugly incident in which a popular senior tries to force Finn to perform a sexual act. When Audrey leaves town for the summer, Finn can no longer fight her attraction to Jersy, which turns out to be mutual. The connection built between Jersy and Finn doesn't feel strong enough to convince readers that Finn would betray Audrey, and the story of Finn's parents' breakup drags. Finn is easy to relate to, with her doubts and inner voice that critiques her every social interaction; however, as a romance and family drama, the story comes up short. Ages 14-up.

August 1, 2009
Gr 9 Up-Ninth-grader Finn's story begins in the middle of winter as her life continues to fall apart. Her parents are headed toward divorce, and she is trying to cope with her own private trauma from an incident that happened in September. Matters are made worse when her best friend, Audrey, is sent to live with relatives during the summer, leaving Audrey's boyfriend, Jersy, alone. As everyone else in Finn's life becomes distant, she and Jersy drift dangerously closer. This novel is difficult to read because the time line jumps forward erratically, with little transition between days and months. Only important events in Finn's life are narrated, which gives readers little insight into the characters' thoughts and actions and creates a jarring effect instead of a flowing narrative. An interesting plot will occasionally make up for a lack of character development, but that simply doesn't happen in this book."Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL"

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