Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication date: January 2011
ISBN: 9780399251597
Source: ARC sent by publicist
Dellie's life completely changed when her brother was killed in an accident. Now her mom is crying all the time and won't let Dellie leave the house. When they get some new neighbors that seem to bring trouble, Dellie is torn between trying to help Corey, who's mom is in the thick of it, and staying safe as her mom wants her to.
Things I Liked:
I really loved the cast of characters for this book! It was filled with a diverse group of people - kids and adults. And it wasn't the main focus of the story either. I was drawn into the lives of the people, Dellie and Corey's obviously, and I felt like they were my own friends and neighbors. It was a heart-breaking story, watching how hard it is for Dellie and her parents to deal with the loss of her brother. And then to watch Corey's life slowly become worse. I found myself in tears on multiple occasions. A sweet and affecting story about dealing with grief and the things we can't prevent.
Things I Didn't Like:
I was actually a little surprised at the quick changes Corey's mom makes near the end. It seemed rather unrealistic, though the ending kind of made more sense. It all was a little too neatly resolved. It was something that drew me out of the story. But a solid debut and I look forward to more from Vigilante.
Read-alikes:
Invisible Lines by Mary Amato
After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few here and there
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->
a little bit of domestic violence
Overall rating: ****
Do you cry easily when reading or not? I think it depends entirely on my current mood :)
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
