The Swift Boys and Me

Reviewed by: Megan Moynihan - Walker Memorial Public Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 7, 2015

Review

Nola Sutton is an eleven year old girl whose best friends in the world are her next door neighbors, the Swift boys. Brian is the oldest brother, Kevin the youngest and then there’s Canaan, Nola’s “best-best friend” and classmate. It is the very beginning of summer vacation, when Mr. Swift abandons his family, leaving the three boys devastated. Nola struggles to be there for the boys while trying to get to the bottom of their father’s disappearance but meanwhile Nola is facing challenges of her own. She finds out her mother is finally marrying her long-time boyfriend and Nola will be moving out of the neighborhood by the end of the summer. So when Brian takes off to stay with friends, Kevin stops talking altogether, and Canaan starts hanging out with the neighborhood bullies, Nola finds herself wishing things could be like they once were. This is a story of a young girl on the cusp of adolescence trying to come to terms with changes in her life, some positive and some painful. With good pacing and well-developed characters, this book keeps the reader engaged. Nola is brave, sweet, and thoughtful but at certain moments, perhaps a little too insightful about her emotions and experiences to be believable for a character her age. Despite this one aspect of Nola’s character, I found myself rooting for her as she learns how to navigate the difficult changes in her life. I would recommend this book to children ages ten and up as Nola’s experiences could be relevant to anyone who has struggled with friendships and change.

Overall Book Score: very good