Title: Our Fair Share
Author: Sarah Marie Jette
Genre: realistic fiction
Age range: middle grade
Similar book: Family Week by Sarah Moon
Summary (provided by publisher): Seasonal work at the fairgrounds for most summers means Serafina, James, Avory, and Cassi are all experienced in fair life. Beloved traditions keep the best friends plenty busy. For them, this is more than just a summer vacation in Knox County, Maine. These are the best months of the year. This is their fair.
But it seems like everyone is distracted. James is having trouble at his new school. Avory is feeling smaller than ever. Cassi just wants to be left alone, but that's hard when your dad is caught in a scandal that leads to more eyes on her that she's never dreamed of. And Serafina is afraid she'll never get over the accident no one knows about. To make matters worse, there's a new fair manager - a community outsider - who seems determined to take away what is special about their fair. This summer is feeling a little too different. With two months ahead of them, the four friends need to find a way not just to survive their own inner turmoil, but to help their fair community thrive.
What I liked: This is a book populated by realistic, complex characters. Their problems are unique and never minimized. We never get the sense that a character could fix their life if they would only make one small change. We see how long term relationships change as we age without it becoming a simple issue of "outgrowing" a person.
What I didn't like: Balancing four separate narratives can be challenging and often means that one doesn't get the space it deserves. The pacing is a bit slow and we don't always get enough depth on an individual issue.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
No comments:
Post a Comment