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The View from the Top

by Hillary Frank
232p. 978-0-52542-241-9.
COPY ISBN
Gr 9 Up—Set during the summer after senior year, this novel is told from the viewpoints of six very different teens. Five of them, boys and girls, are all infatuated with Annabelle, though it is difficult to tell why. Even when the story shifts to her perspective, she remains a distant character. As Annabelle breaks up with her boyfriend and sorts out her feelings toward two other boys (one a charismatic bad boy and the other a fellow musician who would like to be much more than friends), her needy best friend (who is also attracted to her), and a new acquaintance (a summer visitor to their small seaside town with self-destructive tendencies), emotions run high. Of course, this is still high school, or at least its direct aftermath, so overblown reactions are not out of place. Unfortunately, these scenes frequently feel heavy-handed. This quick read may appeal to melancholy teens heading off to college.—Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA
Told from six teens' individual perspectives, this interconnected story about one summer in a Maine coastal town is filled with romantic misunderstandings, longing, and anxiety about the future. Beautiful, confused Anabelle connects all the characters, and her pending departure for college fuels their worries and pining. Though heavy on the melodrama, Frank's story captures the fear and excitement of change.
A spot-on depiction of teenage love in all its confusion, angst, and bliss. The characters seem real. Each has a deeply felt and affecting emotional dilemma; Tobin’s stingingly unrequited crush on Anabelle is one example. A refreshingly different format—the novel is told in short stories—makes this book a breeze to read. Intriguing story titles (e.g. “A Mix Tape for the Bears”) and charming sketches that adorn the beginning of each story add to the reading experience. The book is full of hilarious details and scenes, such as the bizarre homemade jewelry box Matt gives to Anabelle as a gift and Jonah’s awkward late-night rendezvous with Matt’s single mother.

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