About the Author

Garret Freymann-Weyr grew up in New York City and often sets her books there. She went to college at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and received an MFA in film from New York University. She has written four books for young adults, including My Heartbeat, which won a Printz Honor for excellence in literature for young adults. Her books have been published in numerous countries including the Netherlands, Japan, and China. She currently lives outside Washington, D. C., with her husband. She has said that the best way to get ideas is to read a lot. "That gets you thinking in terms of story, character, and image.

Reviews

"Elegant and sophisticated. . . . Readers often feel awkwardness coupled with anticipation in the adult world, and capturing this duality is one of the book's many strengths . . . this novel pushes the market of YA fiction onward and upward." --Booklist, starred review Booklist, ALA, Starred Review "Leila is a character readers will care about and want to know...Her deliberations and thoughtful contemplations on the huge questions about love, life, family, and friends ring with sincerity and truth." VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) --

Gr 8 Up-For 16-year-old Leila Abranel, the suicide of a much older half sister sparks a journey of discovery as she tries to figure out "why." Her family is complicated-Rebecca and Clare, her father's daughters from his first marriage, are more than 20 years her senior. Leila was close to their mother, who has recently died. All three girls have struggled with dyslexia, and Leila is not sure where she fits into the world of the adults around her. Devastated by Rebecca's suicide, Leila's parents throw themselves into their work and go to Poland to be part of a team building a teaching hospital, leaving Leila with Clare. The teen begins her quest to understand Rebecca's death. In doing so, she meets 31-year-old Eamon and they fall in love. Because he does not "date teenagers," he leaves her alone but they both find that this does not lessen their attraction for one another and eventually they decide that they can manage the age difference. Leila does not find all the answers she is searching for; instead she finds that some things and some people are unknowable. Freymann-Weyr explores complex relationships in a manner that is both sensitive and compelling. Leila's growing maturity as she deals with the changes in her life make for a sophisticated and interesting coming-of-age tale.-Janet Hilbun, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.