Synopsis
When Tallulah Addy sets out on an impulsive cross-country trip to rescue her best friend, she doesn't anticipate getting stranded in rural Tennessee without a dime. Nor does she guess that rescuing a dog will land her a job in the local veterinarian's office. But there, under the wary eye of ornery Dr. Poteet, Tallulah works harder than ever before, tending to animals of all shapes and sizes—and unexpectedly, to wounds long-buried in herself. Tallulah swears she'll leave the first chance she gets, yet when given the choice, it may prove harder to keep the promise to her friend than to say good-bye to the strangers who have become her new family.
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Tallulah's 21-year-old friend Maeve is exciting, exhilarating, and lives life to the fullest. She is also bipolar, which she says is simply a label given by people "who don't like it when they see other people moving differently throughout the world." After having yet another fight with her mother, Tallulah gets a frantic phone call from Maeve saying she has left Oregon for Florida and needs her notebooks. The 17-year-old decides to deliver them; she runs away from home with a sort-of boyfriend but is stranded in rural Tennessee when he robs her and leaves her in a motel. With no money, she has no choice but to accept a temporary job offer at Dr. Poteet's vet clinic, helping out with the animals, living with Poteet's receptionist, carrying on a flirtation with one of the other workers, and making frantic phone calls to Florida, where she gets only an answering machine. When Maeve finally arrives, Tallulah learns the truth about her friend and the seriousness of her disorder. Most teens will relate to Tallulah-she's imperfect, stubborn, mouthy, and searching for truth and acceptance. They'll also understand from her descriptions and memories of Maeve why she is so devoted to the young woman and so devastated when she becomes cold and sarcastic. The supporting characters get their due as well, particularly Poteet, shrewd, insightful, and more compassionate than he lets on to be. The action moves at a breakneck pace as Talullah changes from an impulsive, difficult teen to a thoughtful young woman with direction.-Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.