Winter Town by Stephen Emond

Growing up can be hard to do.  Especially in a dysfunctional family...

Little Brown and Company sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It will be published in trade paperback in December.

This book was written for young adults.  It's the story of two friends, one male and one female, who lived near each other and spent a lot of time together.  Then Lucy had to move away because her parents were getting divorced.  Evan only gets to see her once a year, when she returns home for a Christmas visit with her father.  But when she returns, she's changed...

Lucy has gone Goth; black hair, a nose stud, and an attitude all change her from the girl Evan used to know.  She also seems upset that he's still the way he used to be.  He can't figure it out.

This tale is told from both their perspectives with some comic artwork from the author to get his points across.  The two young people are coming to the point of being independent and developing their own life plans.  But they aren't secure in it's direction yet.

Mr. Emond understands teen angst and how hard it can be to disappoint your parents with some of your decisions.  He writes a good story about weathering life changes and looking for the future that is right for you.  

This was an interesting read and has a message for young teens who haven't found their direction in life either.  Why not share this book with them?

If you'd like to win my ARC, please leave a comment here on my blog and send me your name AND address in an email to info at bookfaerie.com .  I'll pick a winner in about a week.

Happy reading.