Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads Summary:
Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.
She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.
Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?
Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.
My Review:
I loved Sarah's first novel, TWENTY BOY SUMMER – and immediately dove into FIXING DELILAH, as soon as I'd finished the last page.
The hard-hitting topic this time? Family.
We've all been there before (okay, maybe some of us more than others, but still), dealing with the chaos of related loved ones. This book particularly resonated with me, primarily because it dealt with the relationship between Delilah and her mom, and her mom and her grandmother. On more than one occasion, I felt the sharp pang of familiarity with what was happening between them all - especially when the topic strayed towards her grandmother's depression. A very private and often times alienated subject, depression impacts the lives of so many, yet is often swept under the rug with the hopes it will just go away.
Sarah Ockler definitely has a way with words, along with the ability to weave intense subject matters into an otherwise common story line - and all while not speaking down to the intended audience: the teen reader.
FIXING DELILAH was beautifully written, although I will say TWENTY BOY SUMMER is still my favorite Sarah Ockler read.
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