Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.-
Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again? Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love and self-discovery.
-
I fell in love with Sarah Ockler's debut novel Twenty Boy Summer and her second book Fixing Delilah doesn't disappoint.
-
Delilah Hannaford is usually a good student that keeps to the rules and doesn't even have a passing thought of rebellion. However, after a case of accidental shoplifting, using her 'boyfriend' as a form of distraction, and increasing tension with her mother, Delilah's life is starting to unravel. So when her mother informs her that her Grandmother has died, they move to the family home in Vermont for the summer to help her Aunt Rachel to clear out and refurbish it ready to put it up for sale. Secrets and mysteries of why Delilah and her mother haven't visited in eight years are uncovered.
-
Delilah is a completely likable character and somebody you could see having as your friend. She has become a little lost within her own life and she cannot connect with her mother. When they move to Vermont she gets the feeling that her mother and aunt are hiding something from her and you could feel her frustration at been kept in the dark especially when these secrets were obviously the cause of a huge rift within the family eight years ago. She only wants the truth and doesn't feel she can trust her mother until she knows it.
-
Whilst in Vermont, Delilah bumps into her childhood friend Patrick. I loved the gradual romance between these two. It was sweet, passionate and sizzling all at the same time. Ockler really knows how to write an amazing summer romance. There was also Patrick's friend Emily and I loved how she fitted right in and was never a wedge between Patrick and Delilah. All the characters are amazingly developed and feel like they could be real people and not just characters in a book. The family dynamics were great and I loved how Ockler made the story revolve around them.
-
Summer is my favourite season and Ockler manages to capture the essence of it perfectly with its lazy long hot days where anything can seem possible. The imagery and other sensory details are fantastic. I also loved the ending and whilst I did guess a few of the mysteries, I didn't guess the big secret which really tugs on your heartstrings. There are many layers to this book and it really resonates with anyone that feel like they are searching for something more meaningful in their lives because a piece feels missing. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great summer read and especially those that loved Twenty Boy Summer.
-
-
Random Passage: I tug on his arm until he folds and crashes into me, kissing me soft and hard at the same time, both hands in my hair. Outside, the grand finale blazes on, booming and popping and whiz-banging in the sky: a temporary, explosive celebration of whatever temporary, explosive thing we have. Both beautiful and breathtaking and full of the white-hot, double-dare summer intensity that's meant not for a lifetime, but for a short and shimmering burst.
No comments:
Post a Comment