Today's Just Contemporary Review {find out more about this event and to find the list of other contemporary's I've reviewed HERE} is Fixing Delilah. This is one I read a couple months ago and saved the review for this event. I have to say that the story has faded a bit in my memory but I remember bits and pieces of it, or the gist of the story, I guess.
Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
Hardcover, 320 pgs.
Published December 1st, 2010 by Little, Brown
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Library
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 have never read Sarah Ockler before (I know, I know, I really must read Twenty Boy Summer) and I had seen some really good reviews for this one and I've seen some mediocre ones. So I wasn't sure if I would love it or not. With a little push from Nikky (Wicked Awesome Books) I did pick it up before I had to return it to the library and I'm very glad I did!
For the most part I really enjoyed this book. Delilah is having a hard time because her mother is neglecting her and focusing only on her job. And her mother definitely got me good and angry, she just wouldn't listen. She expects Delilah to be this perfect little angel but she won't give one ear just to hear anything Delilah has to say. I seriously wasn't sure if her mother could ever redeem herself because she made me so angry. And I was really feeling for Delilah and 'getting' her. It's not until later in the book that Delilah got on my nerves. Suddenly it seemed like she was just so angry and she just took it out on everyone and she wasn't listening to people anymore. I wasn't really understanding why she went so extreme. Why she was so determined to protect her heart. I understand that her mother wasn't really being there for her but why was she so protective of her heart? It seems like she would be more determined to find someone to love her. My disconnection with her in that period of time may be because I haven't gone through something like that, I can't really relate in any way.
The story flowed really well and I found it difficult to put down. I read it in a day because I was so sucked into it. I was anxious to figure out the mysteries that were going on. To find out more about her aunt Stephanie and why her mother and aunt hadn't spoken to their mother in so many years because of some mysterious fight. While I figured out some of it a little before hand most of it was a surprise and I was happy with how it all unfolded.
Despite the short period of time that Delilah got on my nerves I actually really liked this book. The romance was really sweet and I really liked how it came about and their history. Definitely no insta-romance here!
I definitely recommend this book to young adult contemporary readers. It's quite clean with very little bad language or sexual content. And Sarah Ockler is an AMAZING writer. There were many passages I would have bookmarked if it wasn't a library book. I'll be rushing to read anything she writes because her words are amazing.
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