The View from the Top

May 17, 2010
Echoing the premise of Lynne Rae Perkins's Criss Cross, this wistful novel shows how the lives of smalltown teens, all at crossroads, intersect one summer. The central focus is on recent high school graduate Anabelle, a talented musician who plans to attend Oberlin. Anabelle breaks up with her boyfriend, Matt, but after doing so, decides against pursuing her crush, Jonah, Matt's best friend. Readers are given an inside view of how Anabelle's actions and inactions affect those in her life: Jonah, who goes on to have an affair with Matt's mother; Matt's sister, Lexi, who has secretly been attracted to Anabelle for some time; and fellow musician Tobin, who would like his friendship with Anabelle to take a romantic turn. Delving into the psyches of each of her characters, Frank (I Can't Tell You) relates a slew of missed opportunities ("Should he just grab her and kiss her?" wonders Tobin. "No. He would not be a typical guy"). Those nearing the end of high school will best be able to relate to her intimate exploration of postgraduate ennui, regret, and angst. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2010

Gr 9 Up-Set during the summer after senior year, this novel is told from the viewpoints of six very different teens. Five of them, boys and girls, are all infatuated with Annabelle, though it is difficult to tell why. Even when the story shifts to her perspective, she remains a distant character. As Annabelle breaks up with her boyfriend and sorts out her feelings toward two other boys (one a charismatic bad boy and the other a fellow musician who would like to be much more than friends), her needy best friend (who is also attracted to her), and a new acquaintance (a summer visitor to their small seaside town with self-destructive tendencies), emotions run high. Of course, this is still high school, or at least its direct aftermath, so overblown reactions are not out of place. Unfortunately, these scenes frequently feel heavy-handed. This quick read may appeal to melancholy teens heading off to college.-Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2010
Grades 8-12 *Starred Review* Everything begins and ends with Anabelle in Franks richly layered, interconnected short stories about a group of small-town high-school students in their last summer before college. Anabelles egocentric boyfriend, Matt, calculates how the quality and quantity of his art will increase as a result of their inevitable breakup. Jonah, Matts buddy and resident Lothario, considers hooking up with Anabelle to distance himself from a messy dalliance with an older woman. Lexi, Matts sister, is trying to work up the courage to tell Anabelle that she wants to be more than friends, while rich, depressed Mary-Tyler has a chance meeting with Anabelle that raises both of their spirits. Quiet, intense Tobin, who loves Anabelle from afar, contemplates telling her how he feels when they find themselves together at the top of a Ferris wheel at summers end. And Anabelle? She is just struggling to understand who she is, let alone who she is in a relationship. These elegantly written character-driven episodes, each from a different point of view, intimately examine issues of unrequited love, social class, and identity seeking through pitch-perfect interactions that teens will find achingly familiar. Like Natalie Standifords How to Say Goodbye in Robot (2009), this quirky love story about falling for yourself first will appeal to teens hearts and heads.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)