
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
17-year old Westlin (West) Beck is not having a great summer so far. Her best friend—and car-detailing partner—decided to be a counselor at an outdoor adventure camp, leaving her alone and short-handed. Her boyfriend is trying to save up for a car and is working insane hours on his parents’ farm. When her pastor father introduces her to the Harts who have just moved to Minnesota from Alaska, West’s summer is forever changed. Adorably nerdy Silas Hart ends up being her new detailing partner, and the two of them bond quickly over books, poetry, philosophy, as well as radio and TV shows. Silas’ twin, Laurel, suffers from solipsism syndrome, which means that she is not sure if she is living in a dream or reality, but West and Silas are able to draw her out occasionally, and there are times when West thinks that Laurel is maybe getting better. When tragedy strikes, however, West is left to figure out who she is and who she wants to be now that everything and everyone in her life has let her down.
This book is not as lighthearted as the description makes it sound. It was rich and deep and tragic and lovely. The love triangle, if you want to call it that, is handled pretty well. It seems obvious to readers where the friendship between West and Silas is heading, but readers are also sympathetic with West’s dilemma since her boyfriend is a truly good person and they have a history, even if they don’t have the best chemistry. At times, West is a typical self-absorbed teenager who wishes that the people she cares most about could reciprocate her strong feelings and make her feel like she is the most important person in their lives. Once West decides to grow up and get over herself, however, readers feel as though she has a definite chance of finding happiness in this world. Recommended for gr. 10-12 due to some fairly adult situations.
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