2020-01-26
Abby, a, rural Wisconsin preteen with a passion for astronomy, concocts a secret plan to help her sister Blair, 18, who suffers from a life-threatening eating disorder.
Middle sister Jade, 16, is preoccupied with friends and a summer job; Blair’s in residential treatment while their parents ready the family’s rustic resort to host media and sightseers for the forthcoming solar eclipse. Isolated, Abby, whose besties have inexplicably dropped her, attracts the interest of renowned astronomer Leo Lacamoire, a visitor who recruits her to dig up a time capsule containing a valuable telescope stolen from him. Abby agrees, provided Leo promises to introduce her to his editor, who Abby hopes will publish Planet Pirates, a collection of stories she’s written and Blair’s illustrated. Despite long-laid plans to view the eclipse with her astronomy-teacher dad, Abby realizes her only chance to dig up the time capsule unobserved is during the event. Into this plot vignettes from the past are interwoven in reverse chronology, a technique that brings Blair’s story—the novel’s strength—into heartbreaking relief. A perfectionist whose ballet hopes were stoked and manipulated by a ruthless teacher, appealing Blair is entirely convincing. But the plot’s unlikely resolution rests on secondary characters’ implausible, sketchy motivations—not those of the sisters readers care about. The subplot involving Abby, Leo, and the time capsule not only fails to persuade, it undermines what does. Abby’s family and Leo all present white.
A flawed debut—but a promising one. (Fiction. 10-12)
"Well drawn. A promising debut novel." — Booklist
"Claire Swinarski investigates the meaning of family and sisterhood through the eyes of a 12-year-old who finds she hasn't really known the sisters she thought she knew." — The Lakeland Times
"Well drawn. A promising debut novel."
"Well drawn. A promising debut novel."
Narrator Lisa Cordileone creates a youthful voice for 12-year-old Abby, who lives in northern Wisconsin, where she helps run a campground with her family. Sometimes business can be sparse, but with an eclipse taking place in the coming summer, all the sites are booked up. Abby looks forward to spending her time studying the stars and exploring books at the local library. Life becomes more difficult, though, as she reflects on her older sister’s struggle with anorexia and discovers that the library, her haven, is having budget issues. Cordileone establishes unique voices for the family members, bringing them to life. Listeners will be drawn to these down-to-earth characters and cheer them on. M.D. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Narrator Lisa Cordileone creates a youthful voice for 12-year-old Abby, who lives in northern Wisconsin, where she helps run a campground with her family. Sometimes business can be sparse, but with an eclipse taking place in the coming summer, all the sites are booked up. Abby looks forward to spending her time studying the stars and exploring books at the local library. Life becomes more difficult, though, as she reflects on her older sister’s struggle with anorexia and discovers that the library, her haven, is having budget issues. Cordileone establishes unique voices for the family members, bringing them to life. Listeners will be drawn to these down-to-earth characters and cheer them on. M.D. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
