FICTION

Underwater

288p. ebook available. Farrar. Jan. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780374368869.
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Gr 8 Up—Morgan was a carefree teenager, a talented swimmer with a nice group of friends and the occasional boyfriend, too. But Morgan was also in crisis because of her father's post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism. What's more, a mass shooting at Morgan's high school further disrupted her life, with her own memories of that day haunting her and the aftermath. The school closed down, and her friends changed schools and moved away, making her feel vulnerable and alone. Even worse, Morgan may have inadvertently helped the shooter get to school that fateful morning. At some point, Morgan realized she didn't want to leave the house anymore, and then one day she just couldn't. It isn't until Evan, whose cousin was killed in the shooting, moves into the apartment next door that the protagonist begins to want to enter the real world again. Part problem novel, part romance, Reichardt's debut never becomes melodramatic, even when there is plenty of drama. The main character's emotional growth and healing, her work with her psychologist, and even her changing role in her unusual family dynamics never feel contrived.
VERDICT Readers will enjoy the emotional balance Reichardt gives to the high stakes conflicts in a teen's life.

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