I'll Be There

From the Publisher

A 2012 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults BookA 2011 Los Angeles Public Library Best of YA Book

The Horn Book

* "[A]
life-affirming exploration of the subtleties of love, compassion, and relationships.
. . . Like the song it was named for, this book is hard to get out of your head."

Booklist

"Sam and Riddle are wonderfully appealing characters that readers will root for....A highly suspenseful read with a dynamic, cinematic quality that keeps the pages turning to the satisfying conclusion."

Publishers Weekly

Screenwriter and director Sloan delivers a cinematic, psychologically nuanced first novel of star-crossed love and the power of human empathy and connection. Sloan excels at crafting memorable characters and relationships, from the central, transformative romance between 17-year-olds Sam and Emily, who meet after her disastrous church solo, to finely sketched cameos. Sam and his sensitive, possibly autistic younger brother, Riddle, live an isolated and itinerant existence, subject to the whims of their violent and deranged father, Clarence. Tension escalates as Emily's family becomes attached to the boys, growing concerned for their well-being, and an unstable Clarence takes off with his sons once again. It's agonizing but thrilling reading as Sam and Emily try to surmount the many obstacles Sloan throws at them. Her skills as a writer are never in doubt, though the story can at times feel melodramatic, especially as it turns into a survivalist epic, and a plot thread about a classmate enamored with Emily devolves into slapstick. But Emily and Sam's romance is that of the against-all-odds, meant-to-be variety, and while the ending is too perfect, it is unquestionably earned. Ages 12–up. (May)

VOYA - Susan Redman Parodi

I'll Be There tells the story of two brothers, Sam and Riddle Border, raised by their abusive anti-establishment father. Sam's passion for music inspires him to seek exposure by stopping at churches. He meets Emily Bell during an off-key solo in church one Sunday. Emily, uncomfortable during her performance, fatefully connects with Sam, a stranger in the back pew. Their relationship begins with the compassion Sam expresses to Emily at her failed singing debut, and they quickly develop a kinship. Sam is different; his main priority is his brother, Riddle. The two do not attend school and move around from place to place to evade the law their father broke on various criminal endeavors. Riddle is a boy with autism-like qualities—introverted but highly perceptive, dependant on Sam for his protection and parental guidance. Emily comes from a stable, intact nuclear family. She has never met anyone as dynamic and honest as Sam and is intrigued by his empathy. Seemingly opposites, Sam and Emily have a bond built on complexities and intensities not typically found in a first-love scenario. Their connection and quest to be together despite the odds will draw the reader into a plot line rich with emotion and enhanced by the powerful forces of destiny. Sloan builds characters rich with depth and realism. The story takes on many cinematic qualities, and the characters are easy to embrace and visualize, possibly a result of the author's background in directing family feature films. A terrific read, quick to capture the audience, this book will make readers sing the melody in their hearts. Reviewer: Susan Redman Parodi

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up—Seventeen-year-old Sam's and 10-year-old Riddle's lives have never been normal. Because of their abusive father's bad habit—stealing—they are always on the run. Sam stumbles into church wearing his cleanest dirty clothes on the day that Emily Bell sings "I'll Be There" by the Jackson Five. He can't help but feel that she is singing directly to him, and the two make a connection that later will change both of their lives. Because of many coincidences, the two eventually meet again and the relationship blossoms, but not without some hindrances. Sam's father commits a series of crimes, and he forces the boys to hit the road with him again. The brothers end up escaping their father's grip and get separated, and readers will flip pages frantically to find out if they are reunited with one another and with Emily's family. Sloan illustrates how we are all connected in big and small, positive and negative ways. Any reader who has ever questioned whether even the smallest gesture of kindness can make a difference will appreciate this book. Even though there are many characters and the scene is constantly changing, this riveting story will keep readers interested and guessing until the end.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI

Kirkus Reviews

"Making a connection to a person can be the scariest thing that ever happens to you." This truth hits especially hard now that Sam Border, currently known as Sam Smith, has met Emily Bell. Sam has never known many people. His father took Sam and his younger brother Riddle away from home when they were little, never to see their mother again, and ever since they've lived a life on the run. Clarence Border, their father, is a born liar and a cruel and abusive man, and Sam has taken on the role of protector of Riddle, who seems to be autistic. Mr. Bell, a music professor, discovers Sam's gifts as a musician and Riddle's skill at drawing, talents that become important to the tale. Sloan, a film writer and director (Angels in the Outfield and Made in America), has fashioned a cast of memorable characters with compelling stories and relationships, but, curiously, has neglected a basic scriptwriter's tool, dialogue, in her debut young adult novel. Too often, she violates the old writing teacher's advice: Show, don't tell. Too much explaining, too much going on, an overreliance on incomplete sentences and an unwieldy accumulation of subplots undermine a good story. (Fiction. 12 & up)