Common Sense Media Review
Sophisticated, mature mystery better for older teens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
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Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say that the book offers a compelling narrative with a strong, engaging style and interesting character development, but opinions vary on the effectiveness of the ending, which leaves many questions unanswered. It is commonly recommended for teens, particularly due to its exploration of heavy themes such as prejudice and the consequences of war, although some content may be deemed inappropriate for younger readers.
- engaging narrative
- character development
- mixed endings
- suitable for teens
- heavy themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Just after WWII, Evie's stepfather, a just-returned soldier, drives Evie and her mother, Bev, from their home in Queens to Palm Beach, ostensibly for a vacation. There they meet, apparently coincidentally, a handsome young man whom Joe knew in the war, and Evie promptly begins falling in love with him. But she also begins to see that there are layers of secrets surrounding him, Joe, and Bev. And when tragedy occurs, and her parents are put on trial for a terrible crime, Evie has decide what is true, whom to believe, and what to do with that knowledge.
Is It Any Good?
It can be hard to define the difference between adult and young-adult fiction, and this noir-ish mystery, set in the '40s, certainly skirts the line, wherever that may be. Infused with ambiguous and questionable morality, driven by sexual awakening and relationships, and set in a period with very different values from those that prevail today, adults will find as much to enjoy in this riveting drama as older teens.
Author Judy Blundell, whose previous books are mostly Star Wars novels, here shows a confidence and sure touch when dealing with a very different type of book. The characterizations of both major and secondary characters are clear and vivid, the sense of place and time is palpable, and the mystery, though predictable, is compelling. The postwar era is evoked with a light touch, though the constant smoking by nearly all of the characters, while realistic, gets a bit tedious after a while. Nonetheless, it's an auspicious debut into the world of literary fiction.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what separates a YA novel from an adult novel. This noir-ish mystery, set in the '40s, certainly skirts the line, wherever that may be. Which category would you put it in?
Parents can talk about the differing values between the time depicted in the book and now. What parts would be less likely to happen now? What things were normal then and unusual now? Have we advanced or gone backwards since then? Why have these things changed?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : November 1, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 12
- Number of pages : 284
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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