By K.L. Going
4RBooks: 4/6, grades 5-8
Amazon rating: 4.5/5, grade level 5-9
Good Reads: 3.99/5
Common Sense Media: not yet reviewed
233 pages
Synopsis:
Jane Brannen loves her life in Whickett Harbor, a small town on the coast of Maine, even though nothing ever happens there. She lives with her plankton obsessed biologist father, has a great best friend named Kitty, enjoys spending time with her baby-sitter Ana, and loves to write. Her goal is to become a published writer like Jane Austen, one of her literary heroes.
Jane is excited when a famous author, J.E. Fairfax, comes to town to talk at the local library, even though a hurricane may hit that same night. She was excited until she gets there and learns children aren’t allowed at the event. She sneaks in and meets the author’s son, Devon, hiding in the attic. They go on an adventure outside and almost get caught in the hurricane.
Jane doesn’t like Devon and is not happy to find herself working on a school project with him. To make matters worse, her mother shows up unannounced with a new fiancée from California. Jane rarely sees her mom and is scared she is there to try and take her to California. Jane and Kitty hatch up a scheme to get Jane’s father a girlfriend, the new author in town, so that her mom can’t take her away.
With the unexpected help of Devon, and the support of Kitty, Ana, and her dad, Jane will do everything she can to stay in the town she loves, with the people she loves even more.
Parental Guidance: low
There is one moment when Jane is in danger, but she feels safe and is not
worried.
Jane’s relationship with her mother is not great. Her mother is not a great role
model, but there is reconciliation.
Recommendation:
This book started off with a bang, the author’s visit, and hurricane. After that it settle into a more routine middle school drama of family dynamics, school issues, and confusing relationships. There are other moments of drama as the story progresses, and there is a satisfying conclusion.
Jane is a fun, well-thought-out character and easy to like. The other characters all have their quirks and personalities, and only the mom is hard to like. By the end of the book, she has softened and mellowed and has a chance for redemption.
This book will mostly appeal to 5-7 grade girls and would be fine as an individual read, class read, or with a small group. This was another book I picked up at the oldest bookstore in Maine, Sherman’s in Bar Harbor and it is set in a small sea-side town in Maine, with references to other Maine towns and landmarks.
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