Tape

Gr 7 Up—Ameliah and Ryan are two English teens who have a lot in common. Both of them have recently experienced the loss of their parents and both are obsessed with cassette tapes. Ameliah is desperate to remain connected to her parents, and knows that they loved music, so she is trying to listen to all of their old favorites. Ryan is recording tapes so he can feel close to his mother. Ryan's world is changing fast and it's getting harder for him to recall what made his mother so special. He's having a hard time getting along with his new stepbrother and his father is preoccupied with his new marriage. On one particularly difficult day, Ryan is recording a new tape and hears a voice talk back to him. As Ameliah records a tape, she also hears a stranger's voice talking to her through her ancient tape player. After this fortuitous meeting, Ryan's and Ameliah's stories of love and loss intertwine in delightful (and heartrending) ways. The star-crossed teens' tale is touching, but overwrought. Younger teens will like the many twists and turns, but older readers will have a hard time suspending their disbelief long enough for this novel to hit home.—Morgan Brickey, Marion County Public Library System, FL