One Shot

Publishers Weekly

When Lorrie Taylor moves to live with her father, she takes a summer job working with Elaine, her new stepmother. Elaine, a lawyer, is organizing the estate of a famous, elderly and now-reclusive photographer and asks Lorrie to help by "sorting through papers, moving around boxes, possibly getting the house ready to sell." Molly Price may be abrasive, but 15-year-old Lorrie, a budding photographer herself, is immediately drawn to her work, which hangs throughout the rundown house. Debut novelist Glick provides rich details-there are poignant descriptions of photographs, such as Molly's pictures of a soldier in Vietnam ("In the subsequent shots, the baseball cap was replaced by a helmet, and the football by a big ugly gun")-and insightful comments about photography in general. However, the plot follows an easily foreseen trajectory, and the subplots are not fully flushed out. As Molly and Lorrie warm to one another, Molly offers the use of a basement darkroom, some teaching and even stories from her past. Lorrie immerses herself in shooting and printing, trying to take pictures that "say something." But when Molly slips into a coma, Lori initially avoids visiting her in the hospital and stays away from the darkroom, where Molly suffered her stroke. While Lorrie's metamorphosis into someone "shooting for herself" builds credibly (and will especially interest readers who share Lorrie's interest in photography), other developments create a melodramatic effect (e.g., the boy with leukemia who uses Lorrie's camera to take memorable pictures of his friends in the hospital). Ultimately, while many of Glick's descriptions of Molly's photos and Lorrie's shoots provide lasting images, the tangents, and the predictable relationship between the photographer and the teen, drain some of the story's strength. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

KLIATT

Lorrie is settling in with her father and stepmother the summer she is 15 years old. In suburban Washington, D.C., there are a lot of possibilities for jobs, and her stepmother arranges for her to work with an elderly woman, a famous photographer named Molly Price. Molly is a difficult woman and working with her is not an easy task as she prepares to donate her work to institutions, sell the possessions she doesn't need, and move into assisted living. Her home is filled with her photographs—many famous ones Lorrie knows from school. These photographs inspire Lorrie to pursue her own interest in photography, and Molly offers Lorrie the use of the darkroom in the basement. As Lorrie begins to take photographs and develop them, she yearns for guidance from Molly and Molly generously takes an interest in Lorrie's work. Much of this outstanding novel is centered on Lorrie's relationship with Molly and Lorrie's growth as an artist. Other relationships are also well developed: Lorrie's growing romance with Tom, who manages a nearby riding stable and teaches Lorrie to overcome her fear of horses; Lorrie's relationships with her new stepmother, her father, and her absent mother and how each one develops as Lorrie becomes more mature; the changing friendship with Sarah, her lifelong friend, who is now moving away from Lorrie emotionally as she falls in love with an aspiring musician. Glick is a photographer and she has taught creative writing to high school and college students. The best part of this novel is the respect Glick has for Lorrie, her character, as a believably intelligent, responsible, talented teenager. The reader trusts she isn't exaggerating to make an impossibly outstandingheroine, because Glick succeeds in making Lorrie a whole person, conscience of her weaknesses and errors, self-doubting, occasionally petulant and jealous—trying, learning, growing, caring. If any YA reader has a serious interest in photography, this novel is a must. However, any YA who is interested in the creative process, in relationships, in trying to make sense of her world, will love this book. KLIATT Codes: JS*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2003, Henry Holt, 218p.,
— Claire Rosser

VOYA

Rather than move to California with her flighty mother, fifteen-year-old Lorrie Taylor decides to return to her hometown of Bethesda, Maryland, to live with her father and stepmother. Lorrie is looking forward to spending the summer lounging by her father's pool and picking up where she left off with her best friend, Sarah. Instead, she reluctantly agrees to work with her lawyer stepmother, Elaine, on an assignment to help a famous photographer clean out her house and prepare it for sale. The photographer, stubborn and crotchety Molly Price, is in her eighties. Lorrie, however, is fascinated by Molly's photographs and intrigued by her life story. Molly gradually warms up to Lorrie, becoming her mentor and helping Lorrie fine-tune her own picture-taking skills. Glick's novel has a fairly uneventful plot. Most of the drama is emotional in nature, and much is left unresolved at the conclusion. Readers will want to know more about the aftermath of Molly's stroke, about Sarah's musician boyfriend, who has become her first priority, and about the outcome of Lorrie's own developing romance. Glick explores the importance of taking risks, connecting with others, and accepting the inevitable changes in relationships. Her clear and direct writing style is filled with interesting visual scenes that are reminiscent of vivid snapshots. This book is appropriate for school and public libraries and will be particularly interesting to teens who enjoy photography. VOYA Codes: 4Q 3P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Henry Holt,224p,
— Dotsy Harland

School Library Journal

Gr 8-10-Budding photographers may enjoy this novel about Lorrie, 15, but others might find it slow going. Angry with her mother for taking off to California, the teen moves in with her father and stepmother in suburban Maryland. She had planned to spend much of the summer lounging by the pool, but instead ends up working for a crotchety woman in her 80s who is a famous photographer. They develop a relationship, and Lorrie convinces the woman to become her teacher. Meanwhile, she spends time with her friend Sarah, embarks on a romance with a slightly older young man who manages stables, and conquers her fear of horses. When her mentor collapses and is hospitalized, Lorrie realizes how much Molly has come to mean to her. Throughout the story, the protagonist also deals with her need to be perfect and her unwillingness to take risks, but neither her problems nor their solutions are very dramatic. The writing is sometimes awkward, with too much about the characters explained rather than flowing naturally from the story, and Molly is something of a stereotype-the grumpy old woman who secretly has a heart of gold. Most teens will wish for a bit more drama.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Lorrie’s 15th summer developed, literally, differently from what she expected. Spending a year with her dad and stepmom while her mom moved to California, she anticipates a summer of lazing by the pool with her best friend Sarah. Instead, Sarah gets a job at a riding stable and Lorrie winds up assisting her stepmom, who has quit her law job to help a famous elderly photographer put her affairs in order. Though at first intimidated by the cranky 91-year-old woman, Lorrie is immediately drawn to Molly’s expressive photos of people, each one conveying a story--the Vietnam soldier, for instance. Noticing Lorrie’s interest in her photos, Molly offers her the use of her darkroom. This relationship and the photography correlation with life are compelling. Other nuances lend credibility and sensitivity: a budding romance with the young stable manager, Lorrie’s fear of horses, Molly’s frail health and eventual stroke, and refreshingly intelligent and adjusted divorced parents. Through the eye of the camera, Lorrie discovers her strengths, creativity, and the realization that humanity can be recorded in visual images. Believable, empathetic, and definitely in focus. (Fiction. 12-16)