But Not Forever

Gr 9 Up—In the year 2015, Sonnet McKay is home for the summer after traveling the world with her diplomat father. Trying to find self-confidence, she feels overshadowed by the bright light that is her sister, Jules. In 1895, Emma Sweetwine lives day by day, wondering when her vicious mother will lose her temper again. She dreams of a life far from her family's claustrophobic Victorian mansion, where she can find the love that her mother has failed to give her. While in the same house, fateful storms sends the two girls 120 years through time, switching lives. Emma discovers the world is much bigger than she could have ever dreamed, and Sonnet understands the power of true friendship. As both girls fight to make their way back to their real lives, they uncover secrets that have simmered below the surface of their families for years. After a confusing setup, Von Schleh struggles to establish her characters within the time-travel plot. Emma and Sonnet are not fleshed out enough in their contemporary time periods, which results in character voices that seem genuinely out of place and distant. Awkward pacing, dialogue, and an unnecessary romance distracts from the meat of the story, which is the two teens' desire for true connection and belonging. The author skillfully pulls back the layers of each family, but this doesn't occur until late in the novel.