Learning Not to Drown

Gr 8 Up—Great SAT scores, a summer lifeguarding job, and good friends are not enough to keep deep family secrets from ruining Clare Tovin's life. The high school junior is shadowed by Skeleton, a sardonic and mocking presence always reminding her that her beloved older brother, Luke, cannot be trusted. Ignoring Skeleton, Clare follows her mother's lead, at first, excusing Luke's criminal activities that land him in prison as, "being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Luke's genuine affection and caring for his little sister also endears him to readers, as he drifts in and out of town, always welcomed with open arms by Clare's mother and father, but not so much by brother, Peter. Myopic and unreasonably strict with Clare, her parents are quick to ground her for minor infractions, a double standard never enforced with the boys. Clare's lifeguarding job and friendships with Drea and Ryan, allow her some normalcy, and pride in accomplishment as she mentors a young bully who cannot swim. When Clare's mother yanks her away from her friends and job to visit her grandmother, and later withdraws all of the savings from Clare's bank account to bail Luke out of jail, the teen finally stands up for herself. The addition of Skeleton, and flashbacks, as literary devices, is clever and allows Clare to learn the truth about her stifling home life, and conflicting emotions about Luke, at a realistic pace. Multilayered and suspenseful, this novel is a page-turner.—Vicki Reutter, State University of New York at Cortland