Eddie is obsessed with figuring out why her father committed suicide. He was, at one point, a famous photographer, but had run away from that fame. He still took pictures, just didn't publish any of them. Unlike Eddie, her mother has shut down, spending most days in bed or wondering around in her husband's robe, seemingly unconcerned about Eddie or her father's motivations.
Often, in the middle of the night, Eddie visits the building that her father jumped off when he committed suicide. One night, she meets Culler Evans, who claims to be her father's student. Eddie begins a strange attraction to Culler, as they both try to figure out why her father chose this path.
Milo is Eddie's best friend since second grade. He has been supportive and has stuck around, even when Eddie hasn't been totally honest. There's a bit of a love triangle here, but it doesn't overpower the story. It's a story about a teen who's struggling, and at this point doesn't have much support from her mother. She has friends, and of course, latches on to Culler, who she believes can help her do the one thing that will make her life better - find out why her dad did what he did. In the end, after suffering even more betrayals, there is some hope that Eddie and her mother will find some closure, but it's not perfect.
I enjoyed reading this story. Summers' writing flows well and is easy to read. I never felt strong emotions towards any of the characters. I never wanted to quit reading -- I was invested -- but this isn't a story that will stick with me for a long time. It was a good story, nothing more. I would recommend this to teens who like this sort of problem novel, filled with teen angst, but there are probably other books I would recommend first.
Published by St. Martin's Griffin, 2010
Copy obtained from the library
230 pages (tried to read this for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge, but didn't quite make it.)
Rating: 2.5/5
I agree. I enjoyed the writing, but this story just wasn't for me. It didn't pull at my emotions like I expected it too.
ReplyDeleteI really like the cover! And the book does sound interesting so I'm sorry that it didn't wow you in the end. Great review though!
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