Publishers Weekly
- Publisher's Weekly
The opening sentence of Deaver's (Say Goodnight, Gracie) latest is bound to rivet the attention of even a jaded reader: ``I have just kidnapped my eleven-year-old sister, although she doesn't know it yet.'' A first-semester scholarship student at a prestigious Chicago art school, Lissa is handed the job of temporary parent for her 11-year-old sister, Marnie, when their mother's alcoholism reels out of control. In the months that follow, Lissa must balance her work (she creates perfectly scaled miniature rooms) with her largely successful efforts to provide a stable home for Marnie. She also embarks on a fledgling romance with Daniel, a charismatic fellow artist. Though ``rock-solid responsible'' Lissa is generally unflappable, the subtle undercurrents of her pent-up anger occasionally surface-most memorably in the neatly constructed scene revolving around the unexpected appearance of the girls' country-singer father and his second wife. A crisp and amiable look at believable characters coping with trying circumstances. Ages 11-14. (June)
The ALAN Review
- Hazel Davis
Seventeen-year-old Lissa Hastings, at her alcoholic mother's request, takes her eleven-year-old sister, Marnie, to live with her in Chicago where Lissa attends art school. In her spare time Lissa makes miniature rooms and occasionally sells them to supplement her meager income from her singer father and his new wife. Lissa manages to solve all the problems of responsibility for her sister until her father tries to take Marnie on the road as a part of his musical act. Next she is faced with her newly-cured mother who comes to take Marnie away. Lissa's unbelievable maturity cannot be explained away by her childhood role in the family. Had Deaver cast Lissa as 19 or 20, the novel would be far more believable. However, young readers will probably enjoy this one.
Children's Literature
- Kathleen Karr
Lissa, a seventeen-year-old art student, finds herself in complete charge of her eleven-year-old sister Marnie when their alcoholic mother stops coping. The strong relationship that develops between the two is challenged by visits from their equally non-coping father, and the dilemma of what to do when their mother attempts to rebuild her life.
School Library Journal
Gr 6-9A pleasant if fanciful story of family disarray in which the children are far more mature than their dysfunctional parents. Marnie, 11, is forced to move in with her 17-year-old sister, an art student, when alcoholism overwhelms their mother. The two girls learn to live together and depend on one another, but then Mom wants Marnie back once her drinking is under control. This would make a good made-for-TV movie: happy ending, local color, a bit weepy. But the characters are stereotyped and the intensity is weakened by the plot's blithe unreality. For two examples, 17-year-old girls are simply not allowed to register sixth graders in a public school, and it's not clear why the mother quits drinking now and never before. Appealing, but lightweight.Kathy Fritts, Jesuit High School, Portland, OR
Merri Monks
Seventeen-year-old Lissa, a talented student at a Chicago arts college, must raise her 11-year-old sister, Marnie, when their alcoholic mother can no longer care for her. In this variation on a popular theme--kids making it on their own--Deaver's characters cope with the emotional deprivation of unavailable, irresponsible parents. Lissa struggles to provide a stable home for Marnie while she stretches their limited finances, maintains her focus on her art and schoolwork, and occasionally has a social life. Unable to trust her parents, Lissa battles them when they try, separately, to take Marnie from her. But in the end, Lissa relinquishes Marnie to their newly sober mother, who promises a better future. Deaver's short novel is emotionally rich, with individualized and believable characters. Lissa's eventual forgiveness and acceptance of her mother give the story an upbeat conclusion and may be helpful for young adults who "live with alcoholic parents
