Grit

Reviewed by: Elizabeth Andersen - Westbrook High School, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 18, 2017

Review

Set in fictional Sasanoa, Maine, Darcy Prentiss is learning the hard lessons of life in a small rural town. The plot intricately juggles many threads: the disappearance of Darcy’s friend, Rhiannon; family tensions; and the unfair stigma applied to sexually active teenage girls. Darcy, her sister, Mags, and cousin, Nell, must all handle the secrets that come bubbling to the surface by the end of the summer. Darcy’s determination in the face of adversity will stay with readers; her voice is authentic and her conflicts will be familiar to many young women. The plot unfolds slowly, French has not written a thriller, so much as thoughtful, haunting realistic fiction. French is a Maine author who sets her story against the backdrop of rural Maine blueberry fields, quarry parties, and local fairs. This book explores the complications of modern girlhood in a sophisticated style, put this in the hands of readers who have read Laurie Halse Anderson, A.S. King, and Sara Zarr.

Overall Book Score: very good