Book Review: Adeline Street by Carol Lynch Williams

Average Rating: 3.70

As always, before I get into what I thought about this novel. Here is what the summary on goodreads says.

Eleven-year-old Leah ultimately comes to terms with her younger sister's death.

A warm, funny, family story that deals with overcoming grief and finding inner strength.

To 11-year-old Leah Orton, Adeline Street was the best place on earth to live. But since her sister Kelly's death, the old neighborhood only reminds her of better times. Recent additions to Adeline Street, like the new church and its stern preacher, seem like intrusions. So do many of Leah's confusing new emotions, like her changed feelings for her best friend, Tom, and her sudden understanding of her friend Vickie's frightening secret. Yet as Leah reaches out, she is surprised to find comfort and some good laughs in unexpected places.

My rating: A solid 3 stars. It was great, but lacked that wow factor to make it 4 stars.

My overall impression/thoughts: I really liked this book. This book is a sequel...I hadn't read the first one, but I didn't feel lost throughout the novel. This book deals with how a young girl handles the aftermath of the death of her sister. I loved the genuine sincere tone that was maintained throughout the novel. I truly felt like I was looking into the mind of a young teenage girl. I didn't feel like I was looking through the mind of an adult author trying to portray a young girl's struggles after her younger sister's death.

Carol Lynch Williams is the author of The Chosen One, a novel that I adore. This novel isn't like that one in many ways. One, this novel is geared towards a younger audience. Two, this novel's writing style is much more simple, because Leah is younger.

 

The tone of this novel was dead-on. I thought it was a good read, but probably wouldn't buy it or reread it.

Some Memorable Quotes/Lines: As always, I chose quotes that I liked and ones that I thought wouldn't give the book away.

·         I mean, I feel like I could scream forever and not get all the upset and afraid and sad that I have inside. But even if I screamed as big as the Grand Canyon, somehow I know these awful feelings would still be here. And it scares me. ~pg 1

·         Sometimes if I was really sad or hurting, I’d go in the bedroom and lie on Kelley’s bed. It smelled like her still. I’d sniff real deep, burying my face into her pillow, then close my eyes and remember her. Remember us. And sometimes I’d feel better. ~pg 68

·         So except for Tom, I was pretty much alone at school. And when the memories would come, there was just no getting by them. There was no one to hold me up. ~pg 69

·         Isn’t it funny how you don’ see people, how they look after a while? You only see them as they truly are. Take for example, Tom, I had to look real hard to see his outside, because I’m so used to the way he acts, the way he really is. ~pg 74

In Summary: This book accurately portrays a girl dealing with the loss of her sister. Leah finds herself not liking things Kelly didn't, and trying to be like Kelly. Leah finds that she can't be happy without feeling guilty about Kelly. It was a great read.

Warnings/Side-notes: None this novel is absolutely clean.

Wrap-up: I liked this novel, but it didn't have that wow factor. Nothing made it stand out as a book I'd want to read, but I loved the writing style. I loved the idea, the tone, and the characters. It was a great book that I'd recommend reading, but nothing made me think it was spectacular.

 

Love,

Danica Page

 

Up next: Rachel Ann Nune's Before I say Goodbye.