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Leno, Katrina
4 Reviews
(3)
YA
On twins Georgina and Mary's small island home of By-the-Sea, "you could always smell two things: salt and magic." During the girls' last summer working together in their family's inn, which caters to bird-watchers, they prepare for a future without each other and discover how their magical lineage manifests itself. A gentle family story merges with a mystery involving a rare bird in this evocative, lyrical magical-realism novel.
Reviewer: Jessica Bushore
(3)
YA
When high-school senior Lottie's aunt Helen dies, the world-famous children's book author leaves her anxiety-prone niece twenty-four letters to ease Lottie into the grieving process, push her beyond her comfort zone, and help her uncover her aunt's biggest secret. Lottie's perceptive narration acknowledges each character's unique way of mourning. Excerpts from Aunt Helen's novels introduce just enough fantasy to make a late-in-the-game surprise believable.
Reviewer: Rebecca Fox
(4)
YA
Frannie just learned that her estranged, now deceased mother had a mental illness; Louis suffers significant anxiety over his twin being a double amputee. After years of long-distance friendship via an online support group, the pair decides to meet. In alternating chapters, these thoughtful teens detail dual road trips. A flimsy magical-realism element detracts from their pleasant but predictable emotional journeys.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(4)
YA
After years of debilitating headaches and unexplained blackouts, Molly uncovers the reason for her ailments: she suffers from dissociative identity disorder. As her alternate personality, Mabel, reveals buried memories, Molly must decide whom to trust when she can no longer trust her own perceptions. It's a compelling and uniquely told psychological mystery, but the fractured narrative style can be jarring and distancing.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
4 reviews
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