Disconnected

Gr 9 Up—Although she prefers the name Milly, guardians Grandpa George and Aunt Rachel call her Amelia. What they don't know is that Amelia is also Milly's selfish and self-destructive other half. But whether or not Milly is mentally ill is unclear in this drive-by of a novel that finds its heroine dealing with disorders ranging from cutting and anorexia to incest. Revelations about the family's secret past add another layer of incredulity on the plot, and come complete with dark corners, a missing key, a forbidden diary, a hidden gravestone, and a curious cat who points the way toward some answers. While Milly feels unhinged when Amelia pesters her to do bad things, and she suffers emotionally and physically because of this, the alter ego also pushes her to learn the true identity of her parents, thought to have died in a fire when she was a child. It's from Amelia, perhaps, that Milly learns not to shrink back, such as in her relationship with decent guy Blake Stone, or the ability to walk away from a party awash in alcohol. Millie's small victories of confidence convince more than the novel does as a whole; although the teen years can be tough, it's overkill to lay so many traumas on a single protagonist.—Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY