Rimwalkers

by Vicki Grove

As she develops a closeness with two cousins during a summer on her grandparents' farm in Illinois, fourteen-year-old Victoria emerges from the shadow of her showy younger sister and has some experiences that change her life forever

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Contemporary

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Vicki Grove lives in a 100-year-old farmhouse on a few acres of land outside of Ionia, Missouri (pop. 118). Her son and daughter, Michael and J.D., attend college, and her husband Mike is a music teacher and directs a bell choir. They have lots of cats and a goldfish pond teeming with bossy, headstrong goldfish. Sharing the pond with that rambunctious crew is one gentle red-eared turtle, Yertle. Behind the house grow three cherry trees, three apple trees, a corn patch, grape vines, and, on a good year, enough strawberries for Vicki to make a dozen jars of jam.

Vicki has written for magazines ranging from Twilight Zone to Reader’s Digest. She received the 1996 SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for a story in American Girl. Altogether, she’s published about 300 articles and short stories. “Because it’s not such a huge time and energy commitment, writing a short story is kind of like eating popcorn,” she says. “Writing a book, on the other hand, is a big deal, sort of like Thanksgiving dinner. You’d get tired of snacking or feasting if you did it all the time, so I alternate!”

Eight of Vicki’s eleven books are middle grade or young adult novels for Putnam. Her most recent are Rimwalkers, Crystal Garden, Reaching Dustin, The Starplace, and Destiny. Reaching Dustin and The Starplace were School Library Journal Best Books of 1998 and 1999.

Vicki writes every day in a tiny white office her dad built in her hayfield. He modeled it on her childhood playhouse, and it has its own birdhouse (where a tree frog named Joop is living). A purple clematis vine snakes up the side of the office, and beneath it grows a white peony bush Vicki transplanted from her grandmother’s farmhouse in Illinois, the setting for Rimwalkers.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great YA gothic novel. I read this at summer camp years and years ago and really enjoyed it, and reread it now as an adult before I gave it to a friend to see if it was as good as I remembered - I remembered it being like 30% teen angst; 50% feats of rural teenage derring-do, and 20% “don’t fuck around with gravity flow wagons”, but in reality it’s like 80% angst and 20% everything else.

[Elise L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rimwalkers, by Vicki Grove, is about a girl named Tory, her two cousins, and her little sister. Her two cousins are named Elijah and Rennie. They all have to go to their grandparent's house during the summer. At first Tory and Elijah are the only ones together and they're annoyed by Rennie. Sara thinks Rennie is so cool at the beginning, but Rennie doesn't really like her. After a while Rennie, Elijah, and Tory become best friends and ever include Sara. One day while at their grandparents they see a boy's face in the old house that was first built on that property. Their Great grandma's house. A lot of crazy stuff happens.
For the most part I like Rimwalkers, it’s adventurous and interesting and there’s always new things happening. I wish there were more detail on some parts though. It’s a little boring sometimes because there isn’t enough detail. It just states something quick and then it’s on to the next thing. Sometimes it’s as if you didn’t even read about it. You don’t remember it that well. It doesn’t stick in your mind so then maybe it will mention it again and you’ll be confused for a bit then you’ll finally remember it. It’s still good though. there’s a lot of adventure and wonder and mystery, I enjoy that.It’s mostly very fun to read except at the parts that lack a little detail. I think what the author was trying to say in this book was never leave someone out even if you don’t really feel like having them around and believe in yourself. You are amazing and we all are unique in our own ways so don’t hide it. It’s a great message and a good book.

[Darin Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a favorite read aloud of mine many years ago, yet the story itself has aged well.

Tory, the quiet older sister, and Sara, the more outgoing sister, travel from Wisonsin to their grandparents' farm in Illinois. As Sara pines for her friends back home, Tory develops a closer relationship with their cousins, Oren and Elijah. Over the summer, the supernatural is introduced into the story as a young boy begins to appear in the remains of the old family house. It adds a chill to the story and builds to a jarring climax.

I gave this four stars because while the ghost story is great, we almost have two competing (though good) stories inside this book. Otherwise, I enjoyed the relationships, the coming of age, and the detail given to where the family was living.

[Samantha Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got me into reading in the summer between 8th and 9th grade. So I hold it dearly to my heart.

Rereading it 24 years later and I was sucked right back into that world. I remember highly identifying with Tori, and shy nerd who is trying to handle being in the shadow of her younger sister. How I wished I also had 2 cousins to spend a summer discovering myself and pushing myself to new limits.

RIMWALKERS is a mix between coming of age story with a touch of ghost story. Sprinkle in a couple scenes of peril and you can’t go wrong. This also touched slightly on sibling rivalry and jealousy?

Good story. Wish more people knew about it.

[Rachu · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best friend read this book when she was a teenager and was obsessed with it. I never got around to reading it till now, but it was a very sweet and nostalgic story. A little bit mystery, a little bit ghost story, a lot a bit coming of age…

It was very well done and I had a good time in this world. I wish to be able to see more of Tory, Elijah and Rennie. I’m sad to only have 223 pages with them.

I was going to give this book 3 stars, but Rennie gets a whole star of his own cause he’s just that great.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book. I love stories that can be enjoyed on two different levels. I would of loved this book when I was younger just because of the atmosphere and the ghost, but it's even better now that I'm older because I understand the symbism and the spiritual message. Loved it.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rimwalkers is a refreshingly effortless book to read. Whether it’s because it’s set enough years away that the bustle of modern society and Facebook and every teen having a cellphone takes one away, or Grove’s writing in general, Rimwalkers was accessible and not overly complex. It was a little strange, to be honest, reading about teens getting up at 4:30 in the morning to do farm chores willingly and no mention of email whatsoever. You could tell the book was written in 93 by the small things - like Sara curling her bangs out, the ‘rebel’ wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt, the entire cover and, in the epilogue, Elijah and Tory writing letters to each other ‘fairly regularly.’ But like I said, that made the book almost more readable, without the clutter of cellphones, internet and TV.

I do think that this book was kind of… sold the wrong way. Truth be told, the entire “rimwalker” aspect was a little silly, just a bit, but I believe Grove did pull it off. However, despite the title, that didn’t end up being the focus of the story in the last few chapters. The actual “plot” grew over the story before being focused on 100 percent in the last few chapters. The plot was actually quite solidly paranormal, which I hope isn't considered a spoiler having read the summary.

The writing, or maybe the world Grove chose to write, was written simply and probably for young teens. Grove wrote well and enjoyably. The characters managed to each stay their own, only Sara seeming to be somewhat of an oddball stereotype. (A thirteen year old trombone playing cheerleader? And who’s very popular and adored by everyone? Huh. But of course the main character’s sister is very popular, which makes the main character not really feel like she fits in anywhere.) Tory was a very believable teen trying to figure things out and step out of her sister’s shadow. And I’m going to add here that it’s very refreshing to read a story without romance for a change.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you don’t mind ghost stories, this book is for you.

Warnings/heads up/what’s in this book (mild to major spoilers past here) - no curses, kissing or anything particularly unsavory. The actual ghost story that runs through this entire book is rather… creepy. Call me a wimp but I got chills and felt actually queasy when I read the line, “And for the first time all summer, he was smiling.” Grove did a good job at building the ghost story up in the background and it was sufficiently spooky without stepping out of the age group she was writing for. So I would say that if you don’t like ghost stories, or simply don’t like reading about ghosts because of your beliefs or tastes, than this book isn’t for you.

[Melissa Hurtado]

A good book to read. The Book is call Destiny Vicki Grove sixth grade Destiny is one juggling move of responsibility that she should have with her crazy step farther.Her good mother and crippled bother and they have no money.

Destiny teens struggle was with siblings variably and tree pressure and mostly off tern hardship . Destiny childhood was idylic she grow up in gillions prairie in one little room in the schoolhouse. Near a big house white house at was there grandparents. Destiny fought in he civil war went to the front to the nurse was her fallen son .

I feeling powerless at the first she plans to hide journal in the barn. so here new owners might find it and learn how her family agonized over their decision.
This was a good book. you will learn some of this book. i would tell you all you guys should readmit. It will make you thing how there people lives.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! It was a bit creepy but i get creeped pretty easy. And for people who say you wouldnt read this book because its old, well, let me tell you just cause it was written in 1993 the "oldness" of it doesnt go much farther than the cover. In other words... dont judge a book by its cover!(:

[Annie Houska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rimwalkers was a very good book, it seemed to pull you in with mysterious events that happened throughout the book. I would recommend this book if you like a good story that takes place in the summer and has some mysteries.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What i learned from this book is you never know what moment might be your last. Some of my books look boring... but get past the title and cover and read it... all my books start getting really cool.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book.It is a child's book.(i got it at a book fair in jr high)but I still find it a great read.

[Chels · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very good book.

[Annie Carbutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a classic, gripping novel. I always finish reading this by having a good cry. Wonderful, deep characters and chilling suspense.

[Kristine Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite childhood book. I have read this book many times over, and still read it in my thirties. The simple Americana life is what drew me in and kept me hooked!