Adeline Street

Leah Orton #2

by Carol Lynch Williams

To 11-year-old Leah Orton, Adeline Street was the best place on earth to live. But since her sister Kelly's death, the old neighborhood only reminds her of better times. Recent additions to Adeline Street, like the new church and its stern preacher, seem like intrusions. So do many of Leah's confusing new emotions, like her changed feelings for her best friend, Tom, and her sudden understanding of her friend Vickie's frightening  secret. Yet as Leah reaches out, she is surprised to find comfort and some good laughs in unexpected  places.

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade

185 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Carol Lynch Williams is the author of more than 30 books for middle grade and young adult readers. Her novels include The Chosen One, Never that Far, Messenger and Never Said. Her most recent book is the novelization of the movie Once I Was a Beehive. Carol has an MFA from Vermont College in Writing for Children and Young Adults and teaches creative writing at BYU. She runs Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers, a week-long writing conference for the not-faint-of-heart writer (www.wifyr.com). As well she is a mentor for those who want to write for kids and teens. Her best creative effort, however, are her five daughters.

Reviews

[Danica is Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: A solid 3 stars.

My overall impression/thoughts: I really liked this book. This book is a sequel...I hadn't read the first one, but I didn't feel lost throughout the novel. This book deals with how a young girl handles the aftermath of the death of her sister. I loved the genuine sincere tone that was maintained throughout the novel. I truly felt like I was looking into the mind of a young teenage girl. I didn't feel like I was looking through the mind of an adult author trying to portray a young girl's struggles after her younger sister's death.

Carol Lynch Williams is the author of The Chosen One, a novel that I adore. This novel isn't like that one in many ways. One, this novel is geared towards a younger audience. Two, this novel's writing style is much more simple, because Leah is younger.

The tone of this novel was dead-on. I thought it was a good read, but probably wouldn't buy it or reread it.

For a more in-depth review, please check out my blog review: http://danicapage.blogspot.com/2011/1...

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sequel to Kelly and Me does a good job of developing the character of Leah, which was something I missed in the first book. But, it's not as delightful to me as the first book is because the magic of the interaction between the sisters was what drew me in.

Still, Leah's development as a character is interesting as she interacts with her friends, and grieves for her sister. A good read, if you're a 10 year old girl especially.