June 29, 2009
LaFleur's moving debut offers a convincing first-person narration of a girl coping in the wake of tragedy. When 11-year-old Aubrey's mother drives away one morning, leaving her alone in their house, Aubrey resolutely takes care of herself for a week, buying canned food (and a pet fish) with birthday money and watching TV. After Aubrey's concerned grandmother arrives (Aubrey hasn't been answering the phone) and takes her home with her to Vermont, the devastating circumstances behind her mother's departure become clear: Aubrey's family has recently been in a car accident, in which both her father and little sister were killed. Aubrey grapples with her abandonment by displaying psychosomatic symptoms—she gets frequent bouts of nausea—and through symbolic gestures (she periodically composes letters to her sister's imaginary friend, which are interspersed throughout). With the support of a neighbor her age, her grandmother and a school counselor who encourages her to write letters to her family, Aubrey begins to accept her loss and to understand her mother's complex motivations for leaving. The relationships at the center of Aubrey's struggle—with her mother, grandmother and with herself—are fleshed out with honesty and sensitivity. Ages 9–14.
September 1, 2009
Gr 4-6-How does a child recover from unspeakable loss? For Aubrey, 11, it takes time, love, stability, and the emotional release that comes from writing letters. After her father and younger sister die in a car accident, Aubrey's mother becomes psychologically unstable and abandons her. Uprooted from her home in Virginia, Aubrey goes to live with her grandmother in Vermont. Along with Gram's love, she finds solace in spending time with the family next door and acquires a best friend in the process. When her mother materializes and begins her emotional recovery, Aubrey must decide whether to return home or to remain with her grandmother. Throughout the grieving process, her emotions are palpable. LaFleur captures the way everyday occurrences can trigger a sudden flood of memories and overwhelming feelings of renewed loss. She details the physical responses of the human body to emotional trauma with an immediacy that puts readers inside Aubrey's pain and loss. The child's progress is reflected in her letters, which are at first directed to her sister's imaginary friend, then to her dead father and sister, and finally to the mother who hurt her so deeply. While the grandmother's patience and insight at times stretch credulity, for those who want or need to experience grief vicariously, this is an excellent choice."Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL"
Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from August 1, 2009
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* When 11-year-old Aubreys mother disappears one day, unable to cope with the car accident that killed Aubreys father and sister, Aubrey decides she can survive on her own. Settling down to wait for her mothers return, Aubrey takes over the household with the company of her new pet fish. Sensing something is wrong, her gruff grandmother arrives and brings Aubrey to her home where, along with a new friend and a school guidance counselor, she helps Aubrey face the loss of her family and begin to heal. In a simple yet powerful first-person narration, Aubrey shares her inner turmoil, divulges memories, and writes letters to those shes lost. But her words dont always tell the whole story, and it is often what she doesnt say that reveals the full extent of her pain, anger, sadness, confusion, and efforts to understand what has happened to her life. Her struggle to overcome being stuck (I couldnt have back what was gone, and I couldnt go forward because I didnt want to start forgetting) may offer strength to children who are suffering from a loss of their own. LaFleur proves she is an author to watch in this debut novel, a heartbreaking and honest look at family trauma that is devastating, humorous, sad, and, most of all, real.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2009
Having survived a car crash that claimed her father's and sister's lives, eleven-year-old Aubrey faces many challenges, compounded when her mother abandons her. Fortunately Aubrey is taken in by her grandmother, a no-nonsense New Englander, who connects Aubrey with her extended family and neighbors in order to remind her how to love. A heartwarming story of resiliency, hope, and friendship.
(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)