From the Publisher
Everyone says that middle school is awful, but Trent knows nothing could be worse than the year he had in fifth grade, when a freak accident on Cedar Lake left one kid dead, and Trent with a brain full of terrible thoughts he can't get rid of. Trent's pretty positive the entire disaster was his fault, so for him middle school feels like a fresh start, a chance to prove to everyone that he's not the horrible screw-up they seem to think he is.
If only Trent could make that fresh start happen.
It isn't until Trent gets caught up in the whirlwind that is Fallon Little--the girl with the mysterious scar across her face--that things begin to change. Because fresh starts aren't always easy. Even in baseball, when a fly ball gets lost in the sun, you have to remember to shift your position to find it.
The cover of this book has a bright and colorful sun design and so I was really thrown when the book has a pretty dark tone. Trent has trouble everywhere he goes- keeping his temper, handling his dad and step mom, with kids at school, with the teachers, even trying to play baseball- one of this favorite things. So it’s a great thing when Fallon Little comes along because she and his relationship with his mom are the two bright spots in his life. The author, Lisa Graff, does such a great job of developing Trent and Fallon’s characters and of leaving things open for interpretation. I liked how some things were resolved by the end of the book, but not everything was resolved because it makes it more realistic that there are still problems that Trent is having to deal with. A great realistic fiction novel that I highly recommend!
Everyone says that middle school is awful, but Trent knows nothing could be worse than the year he had in fifth grade, when a freak accident on Cedar Lake left one kid dead, and Trent with a brain full of terrible thoughts he can't get rid of. Trent's pretty positive the entire disaster was his fault, so for him middle school feels like a fresh start, a chance to prove to everyone that he's not the horrible screw-up they seem to think he is.
If only Trent could make that fresh start happen.
It isn't until Trent gets caught up in the whirlwind that is Fallon Little--the girl with the mysterious scar across her face--that things begin to change. Because fresh starts aren't always easy. Even in baseball, when a fly ball gets lost in the sun, you have to remember to shift your position to find it.
The cover of this book has a bright and colorful sun design and so I was really thrown when the book has a pretty dark tone. Trent has trouble everywhere he goes- keeping his temper, handling his dad and step mom, with kids at school, with the teachers, even trying to play baseball- one of this favorite things. So it’s a great thing when Fallon Little comes along because she and his relationship with his mom are the two bright spots in his life. The author, Lisa Graff, does such a great job of developing Trent and Fallon’s characters and of leaving things open for interpretation. I liked how some things were resolved by the end of the book, but not everything was resolved because it makes it more realistic that there are still problems that Trent is having to deal with. A great realistic fiction novel that I highly recommend!