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The Line Tender is the story of Lucy, the daughter of a marine biologist and a rescue diver, and the summer that changes her life. If she ever wants to lift the cloud of grief over her family and community, she must complete the research her late mother began. She must follow the sharks.
Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart’s marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, preparing to swim with a Great White, when she died suddenly. Lucy was eight. Since then Lucy and her father have done OK—thanks in large part to her best friend, Fred, and a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a Great White—and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was “meaningful” but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother’s unfinished research. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she’ll finally be able to look beyond what she’s lost and toward what’s left to be discovered.
Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart’s marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, preparing to swim with a Great White, when she died suddenly. Lucy was eight. Since then Lucy and her father have done OK—thanks in large part to her best friend, Fred, and a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a Great White—and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was “meaningful” but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother’s unfinished research. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she’ll finally be able to look beyond what she’s lost and toward what’s left to be discovered.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2019
179 people are currently reading
7265 people want to read
About the author
Kate Allen
1 book86 followersKate Allen grew up in Massachusetts and lives in Minneapolis, USA, with her family. She studied writing in college.
The Line Tender
is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,049 reviews
April 20, 2019
"My grief for her was like a circle. I always came around to missing her again."
The Line Tender resonated deeply with me right from the start. The first time I saw the cover and read the book I somehow knew exactly what I was in for. Not plotwise, simply the overall feeling. It's a sorrowful and hopeful, quiet and ultimately tender story.
At the centre of the story is Lucy, who loves her dad and misses her mum, a marine biologist with a passion for sharks. Her best friend, Fred, is the coolest guy on earth. There is a moment when Lucy gets her first period, so she runs across the street to Fred's house because he's got two older sisters and a mother that could help her out. But Fred is home alone so he matter-of-factly hands her something against period pain and stays cool in a situation that would easily freak out any other boy that age - and many adult men as well. Anyway, Lucy and Fred work on a project for school, a field guide where they document all the living things they find around town, especially on the beach. Lucy is the artist; she studies the creature and draws it while Fred is responsible for the research; he adds all the necessary information. And when a shark turns up at the coast, Lucy's adventure is just beginning.
What struck me the most is that this book sends such a simple message without having to spell it out: be kind. Maybe that's just what I personally take away from it, but it's there. There is not a single person in this book that is unkind. Even though there is grief and loss, even though people make small and big mistakes, every word and gesture carries kindness. This sounds like utopia but it was exactly the right tone for the story. People simply cared for one another, and it filled my heart with warmth.
This is such a great book for children and parents alike. I would recommend it for kids age 10+ because it does get quite complex at times, but I know that they will love Lucy, her friends and family just as much as I did. Not only does it feature a myriad of role models, like female scientists and artists, it's also a touching story about friendship and loss. Furthermore, it talks about anxiety and how it's okay to not always be okay. AND you learn so many cool things about sharks. I immediately wanted to watch shark documentaries and learn even more about them.
This book can't get any better but I still have to mention Xingye Jin, who did the cover art and the illustrations inside the book. I've only read an eGalley of the book, which wasn't ideal when it came to the shark drawings, but they were breathtaking.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House International for providing me with an eGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Find more of my books on Instagram
The Line Tender resonated deeply with me right from the start. The first time I saw the cover and read the book I somehow knew exactly what I was in for. Not plotwise, simply the overall feeling. It's a sorrowful and hopeful, quiet and ultimately tender story.
At the centre of the story is Lucy, who loves her dad and misses her mum, a marine biologist with a passion for sharks. Her best friend, Fred, is the coolest guy on earth. There is a moment when Lucy gets her first period, so she runs across the street to Fred's house because he's got two older sisters and a mother that could help her out. But Fred is home alone so he matter-of-factly hands her something against period pain and stays cool in a situation that would easily freak out any other boy that age - and many adult men as well. Anyway, Lucy and Fred work on a project for school, a field guide where they document all the living things they find around town, especially on the beach. Lucy is the artist; she studies the creature and draws it while Fred is responsible for the research; he adds all the necessary information. And when a shark turns up at the coast, Lucy's adventure is just beginning.
What struck me the most is that this book sends such a simple message without having to spell it out: be kind. Maybe that's just what I personally take away from it, but it's there. There is not a single person in this book that is unkind. Even though there is grief and loss, even though people make small and big mistakes, every word and gesture carries kindness. This sounds like utopia but it was exactly the right tone for the story. People simply cared for one another, and it filled my heart with warmth.
This is such a great book for children and parents alike. I would recommend it for kids age 10+ because it does get quite complex at times, but I know that they will love Lucy, her friends and family just as much as I did. Not only does it feature a myriad of role models, like female scientists and artists, it's also a touching story about friendship and loss. Furthermore, it talks about anxiety and how it's okay to not always be okay. AND you learn so many cool things about sharks. I immediately wanted to watch shark documentaries and learn even more about them.
This book can't get any better but I still have to mention Xingye Jin, who did the cover art and the illustrations inside the book. I've only read an eGalley of the book, which wasn't ideal when it came to the shark drawings, but they were breathtaking.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House International for providing me with an eGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Find more of my books on Instagram
November 17, 2018
Having been a children's librarian for over 20 years, it's very rare for me to say that there's a new book unlike any I've read so far, but in this case, it's absolutely true. Kids are crazy about sharks. I'm crazy about sharks. So when this galley landed on my desk, with it's stunning, shark-filled cover and even more shark illustrations within, I was already in. But then the story and the characters took over and I couldn't help but fall in love with all of them: the heartbreaking Lucy who you just want to wrap up in a hug and tell that everything's going to be okay, Fred who has an unquenchable thirst to know everything about the world and how it works, Mr. Patterson on his porch with his police scanner and doling out words of wisdom at just the right moments, and even Sookie, the rough-edged fisherman who is really just a softie deep down. It's a book about loss and how we cope with it as individuals and as a community and how we are each important parts of our own local ecosystems. I loved this book, and it's very early, but it's going on my list for Newbery consideration for 2020. Well done, Ms. Allen. I can't wait to see what you write next. Review from galley.
August 30, 2023
Actual rating: 3,5 stars
Was this my last summer book of the year?
Probably.
Review to come soon.
Was this my last summer book of the year?
Probably.
Review to come soon.
April 10, 2019
There’s this song from the musical of Matilda that keeps going through my head when I read The Line Tender. Have you ever had a song get caught in your head because of an ironic connection? I’m sitting here, contemplating Kate Allen’s quiet, thoughtful, contemplative novel and then the lyrics from the song “Loud” appear in my brain. They say, “The less you have to sell, the harder you sell it / The less you have to say, the louder you yell it / The dumber the act, the bigger the confession / The less you have to show the louder you dress it.” If you’re unfamiliar with the show that’s the awful mother’s reasoning behind choosing pizzazz over brains. A lot of things sold to kids are easily slotted into the “pizzazz” category, and that’s not a bad thing. I love the loud and the flashy just as much as a 10-year-old might. That said, I also know that there’s a time and a place for loud and flashy literature, and there’s a time and place for intelligent, subdued writing. Not every middle grade novel out there has to have big set pieces, violent encounters, a roaring climax and a celebratory conclusion. There are books for kids that dare to be more thoughtful than pulse pounding. And if chosen freely by a child, they can unlock something inside. Something that means more to the person reading than anyone else. The Line Tender carries this promise in its pages. It's the right book for the right reader.
When Lucy’s mom died, she was just seven-years-old. A lot of time has passed since then and the girl has grown up in the sleepy tourist town of Rockport, Mass. In the summer Lucy and her best friend Fred spend their days working on their extra credit field guide. When a large shark is captured close to the shore, Lucy thinks of her mother’s work as a marine biologist and shark expert. But why are the sharks moving so close to humans these days? If there’s an answer to that mystery, Lucy’s not seeing it. She’d rather enjoy the summer and her time with Fred. Yet when tragedy hits Lucy a second time, she finds solace not just in the field guide but in her mother’s old work. By hook or by crook, Lucy will see to it that her mother’s plans are not left undone. And along the way, she might just be able to help the three men in her life move on from grief, in their own ways, as well.
I’ve mentioned it before but it bears repeating that this isn’t a book that moves at a rapid clip. Recently I finished reading Eugene Yelchin’s Spyrunner which was so fast paced I couldn’t help but feel that if it physically touched a copy of The Line Tender, the two books would explode upon contact. As I read this book I tried to figure out what it might be about. A dead shark. No, wait, a missing dead shark. Must be a dead shark mystery novel. Wait, what’s that? They figured out it dropped into the sea? Huh. Okay, not a mystery. It wasn’t until the big reveal on page 109 that all the pieces fell into place. Once that happened, I felt a little more relaxed. It helped that I got keen on Allen’s turns of phrase. Lines like “I walked across the creaky floors to look out the window. In the light of the streetlamp, the leaves were bending upside down like it was going to rain.” Or, “There were three things on my mind, tangled up like necklaces in a jewelry box…” Or, “Goose bumps covered my back like a cape.” Here’s a good one: “Fred’s backpack sat like a peeled banana on the step.” And her science teacher’s bad drawings, “looked like preschool illustrations that someone had poked a hole in and deflated.” Sometimes it did feel like Ms. Allen was pushing things, like when she named her main character Lucy Everhart (a tiny bit on the nose with that one, don’t you think?). But for the most part, it was a relief to encounter an author unafraid to use her words.
Is it wrong that I’d hesitate to call this book “funny” (grief’s a helluva buzz kill)? Because while it’s no chucklefest, there are real moments of humor. Take, for example, the moment when Lucy spots her father, naked, in the side yard, pulling on his wetsuit. Not a page later her neighbor, Mr. Patterson says, “Hello, Lucy… Your father has a hairy keister.” “Yes, he does.” “I don’t like looking at it.” “No, sir.” End of chapter. What's interesting about some of the book's lighter moments is that I wouldn’t say they lighten the grief any. There’s lots of sadness here, but interestingly enough it didn’t feel depressing to me. Maybe that’s the advantage of having a pro-active protagonist. Lucy thinks and questions and acts. At one point she hears the advice that her mom used to give, “Don’t resist pain.” It’s meant to say that you shouldn’t repress your feelings, but Lucy hits the nail on the head when she responds, “I’ve been feeling pain all summer… Now what?” The answer is yelled from the formerly sleeping Mr. Patterson. “Adapt! Adjust!” Chew on that one a while, kids.
Clocking it at an impressive 350+ pages, The Line Tender looks impressive. Weighty. Like it’s making a pass at becoming the Moby Dick of middle grade. However, even a cursory glance will show you two things. First, much of the book is broken into exceedingly small chapters. Second, between a lot of those chapters are two-page spreads of sharks drawn in graphite. As you read the book you realize that these are meant to be Lucy’s art. The sophistication almost makes this unbelievable, but there’s just enough sketch to them to not completely go off the rails. Though credited nowhere on the cover or title page, this art is the work of artist Xingye Jin of Suzhou, China. Remember when I said the book wasn’t depressing in spite of its content? I think the art and the chapter lengths do a lot to keep a person from dwelling in grief. It’s natural to consider and contemplate grief, but dwelling on it, particularly in a book for young readers, runs the risk of drowning your narrative in sorrow. There is a quote at the beginning of the book from Rachel Carson that was expertly chosen. It reads, “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” Turn the page and you see the first sketched shark of the book. And with every shark you encounter on these pages, there is a comfort to them. A repeated refrain of nature to get the reader through.
No kid is going to obsess like an adult reader over little things like time and place, but for a while there I may have had some difficulty immediately soaking in Allen’s words because I couldn’t figure out when the dang book took place. There are no cell phones, but people don’t really seem to use much outdated technology (at first). The price of candy seemed low, and VHS tapes were prevalent, but that didn’t really explain anything to me. Clearly Allen was setting the story in a pre-internet and cell phones era, but when? It was only when we discover that Lucy’s mother died in 1991 that you realize that this is a historical tale of the late 90s. After that, I was good to go.
Somehow or other Ms. Allen has the fortitude to withstand invoking the movie Jaws for a good 311 pages. For a book about great white sharks moving into areas where there are potentially swimming people, this feels like an act of resistance. Now I’ve mentioned that the book isn’t going to break any speed records, but a lot of that may be because at its heart this is a book that cares deeply about science, nature, and the natural world. This is a book for those kids that could patiently track data, sketch in silence, or exist in the outdoors for great lengths of time. It’s a book about family, the one you have and the one you choose. It’s also about grief, and time, and the different ways that we learn to cope. Do I wish the beginning cut through the treacle and got to the point of the book faster? Maybe a little. I don’t know that my ten-year-old self would have had the patience to keep with it. But if she had, if she’d stuck it through, I think she would have found a lot to love and enjoy. A book where science can be a balm.
For ages 10 and up.
When Lucy’s mom died, she was just seven-years-old. A lot of time has passed since then and the girl has grown up in the sleepy tourist town of Rockport, Mass. In the summer Lucy and her best friend Fred spend their days working on their extra credit field guide. When a large shark is captured close to the shore, Lucy thinks of her mother’s work as a marine biologist and shark expert. But why are the sharks moving so close to humans these days? If there’s an answer to that mystery, Lucy’s not seeing it. She’d rather enjoy the summer and her time with Fred. Yet when tragedy hits Lucy a second time, she finds solace not just in the field guide but in her mother’s old work. By hook or by crook, Lucy will see to it that her mother’s plans are not left undone. And along the way, she might just be able to help the three men in her life move on from grief, in their own ways, as well.
I’ve mentioned it before but it bears repeating that this isn’t a book that moves at a rapid clip. Recently I finished reading Eugene Yelchin’s Spyrunner which was so fast paced I couldn’t help but feel that if it physically touched a copy of The Line Tender, the two books would explode upon contact. As I read this book I tried to figure out what it might be about. A dead shark. No, wait, a missing dead shark. Must be a dead shark mystery novel. Wait, what’s that? They figured out it dropped into the sea? Huh. Okay, not a mystery. It wasn’t until the big reveal on page 109 that all the pieces fell into place. Once that happened, I felt a little more relaxed. It helped that I got keen on Allen’s turns of phrase. Lines like “I walked across the creaky floors to look out the window. In the light of the streetlamp, the leaves were bending upside down like it was going to rain.” Or, “There were three things on my mind, tangled up like necklaces in a jewelry box…” Or, “Goose bumps covered my back like a cape.” Here’s a good one: “Fred’s backpack sat like a peeled banana on the step.” And her science teacher’s bad drawings, “looked like preschool illustrations that someone had poked a hole in and deflated.” Sometimes it did feel like Ms. Allen was pushing things, like when she named her main character Lucy Everhart (a tiny bit on the nose with that one, don’t you think?). But for the most part, it was a relief to encounter an author unafraid to use her words.
Is it wrong that I’d hesitate to call this book “funny” (grief’s a helluva buzz kill)? Because while it’s no chucklefest, there are real moments of humor. Take, for example, the moment when Lucy spots her father, naked, in the side yard, pulling on his wetsuit. Not a page later her neighbor, Mr. Patterson says, “Hello, Lucy… Your father has a hairy keister.” “Yes, he does.” “I don’t like looking at it.” “No, sir.” End of chapter. What's interesting about some of the book's lighter moments is that I wouldn’t say they lighten the grief any. There’s lots of sadness here, but interestingly enough it didn’t feel depressing to me. Maybe that’s the advantage of having a pro-active protagonist. Lucy thinks and questions and acts. At one point she hears the advice that her mom used to give, “Don’t resist pain.” It’s meant to say that you shouldn’t repress your feelings, but Lucy hits the nail on the head when she responds, “I’ve been feeling pain all summer… Now what?” The answer is yelled from the formerly sleeping Mr. Patterson. “Adapt! Adjust!” Chew on that one a while, kids.
Clocking it at an impressive 350+ pages, The Line Tender looks impressive. Weighty. Like it’s making a pass at becoming the Moby Dick of middle grade. However, even a cursory glance will show you two things. First, much of the book is broken into exceedingly small chapters. Second, between a lot of those chapters are two-page spreads of sharks drawn in graphite. As you read the book you realize that these are meant to be Lucy’s art. The sophistication almost makes this unbelievable, but there’s just enough sketch to them to not completely go off the rails. Though credited nowhere on the cover or title page, this art is the work of artist Xingye Jin of Suzhou, China. Remember when I said the book wasn’t depressing in spite of its content? I think the art and the chapter lengths do a lot to keep a person from dwelling in grief. It’s natural to consider and contemplate grief, but dwelling on it, particularly in a book for young readers, runs the risk of drowning your narrative in sorrow. There is a quote at the beginning of the book from Rachel Carson that was expertly chosen. It reads, “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” Turn the page and you see the first sketched shark of the book. And with every shark you encounter on these pages, there is a comfort to them. A repeated refrain of nature to get the reader through.
No kid is going to obsess like an adult reader over little things like time and place, but for a while there I may have had some difficulty immediately soaking in Allen’s words because I couldn’t figure out when the dang book took place. There are no cell phones, but people don’t really seem to use much outdated technology (at first). The price of candy seemed low, and VHS tapes were prevalent, but that didn’t really explain anything to me. Clearly Allen was setting the story in a pre-internet and cell phones era, but when? It was only when we discover that Lucy’s mother died in 1991 that you realize that this is a historical tale of the late 90s. After that, I was good to go.
Somehow or other Ms. Allen has the fortitude to withstand invoking the movie Jaws for a good 311 pages. For a book about great white sharks moving into areas where there are potentially swimming people, this feels like an act of resistance. Now I’ve mentioned that the book isn’t going to break any speed records, but a lot of that may be because at its heart this is a book that cares deeply about science, nature, and the natural world. This is a book for those kids that could patiently track data, sketch in silence, or exist in the outdoors for great lengths of time. It’s a book about family, the one you have and the one you choose. It’s also about grief, and time, and the different ways that we learn to cope. Do I wish the beginning cut through the treacle and got to the point of the book faster? Maybe a little. I don’t know that my ten-year-old self would have had the patience to keep with it. But if she had, if she’d stuck it through, I think she would have found a lot to love and enjoy. A book where science can be a balm.
For ages 10 and up.
October 31, 2018
Sometimes, you read about a book and it is so precisely your kind of book that you know without even reading it you'll love it. Such was the case with THE LINE TENDER, a debut middle grade coming from Dutton next spring. This book combines so many of my favorite things: a small seaside town, ocean life, grizzled fishermen, sweet preteen friendships, coming of age, and grief.
Kate Allen writes in a sparsely lyrical, straightforward voice; Lucy's discomfort in her own new-feeling body, her frustrated attempts to make sense of the things happening in her world, are infinitely relatable. Although the main events of the story are devastating and horrific, Allen manages to keep a light touch, infusing the book with wonder and hope alongside the sorrow. The story unfolds deliberately—not a breakneck read, but also hard to put down, in a way that reminded me of a Rebecca Stead novel. If you love the kind of heartfelt, thoughtful middle grade stories that balance heartbreak and hope, keep an eye out for this one next spring!
(Do be aware that this is definitely upper middle grade, suitable for 10+—there's a little bit of language as well as some preteen drinking.)
Kate Allen writes in a sparsely lyrical, straightforward voice; Lucy's discomfort in her own new-feeling body, her frustrated attempts to make sense of the things happening in her world, are infinitely relatable. Although the main events of the story are devastating and horrific, Allen manages to keep a light touch, infusing the book with wonder and hope alongside the sorrow. The story unfolds deliberately—not a breakneck read, but also hard to put down, in a way that reminded me of a Rebecca Stead novel. If you love the kind of heartfelt, thoughtful middle grade stories that balance heartbreak and hope, keep an eye out for this one next spring!
(Do be aware that this is definitely upper middle grade, suitable for 10+—there's a little bit of language as well as some preteen drinking.)
August 12, 2018
Synopsis: Lucy loses her marine-biologist mom when she's young. The summer she's 12, her best friend (who happens to be a boy) dies. Which is pretty predictable. And then there's sharks.
PLENTY OF SPOILERS AHEAD.
There was a lot that just didn't mesh up in this book for me. First off, the time period is very hazy. At first I thought it was modern day, and it's 100 pages in before we realize that it's all taking place in the mid-'90s. There's this weird "this is what a real woman looks like" conversation between Lucy and a friend that comes out of nowhere -- seriously, they're just in a comic book store, looking at comics, and the friend tells Lucy "Real women don't look like that." Which first off, I've always had issue with the "REAL" women discussion. We're all REAL. Anyway, later on, it's shown that this friend has kind of been an older sister figure to Lucy, so this conversation makes more sense -- but we don't have that info at the time of the convo at all, and it feels very random. Then there are callbacks to it throughout the book, again, even though it didn't seem very important or like the characters were dealing with some deep-seated issues there.
Of course, the big crux of the story was obviously going to be Fred dying. Saw it coming from page 1. But it was a weird situation and I didn't get how it happened. He jumped into the quarry, came back up, was fine, and then...got trapped by a tree? How did that happen? And I also saw that they were going to end up together if he hadn't died -- except Lucy didn't? So she's spending all this time trying to figure out what's happening, and were they going to be more than just friends, and I'm like "um duh girl." Everyone knew that was going to happen. Pretty dang obvious there. Let's get back to the story. Which is...you somehow need to find your mom's old study because of closure or something? And everyone is treating the study as though it's this huge mystery to be solved when...couldn't you just READ it to figure out what she was proposing? And then talk to the local other marine biologists to see if they'd heard of it (because um, they probably did, and huh, turns out that they've actually been working with it for years and it truly isn't a mystery and you took half the book to find out what they'd known all along)?
And you're weirdly terrified of sharks even though your mom obviously taught you plenty about how noble and magnificent they are, and your mom didn't even die from being eaten by a shark, so where'd this fear come from?
My copy was an ARC and maybe some of these concerns will be fixed in the final edition, but here goes: Some of the writing felt very disjointed, like the writing didn't match up with what the author was intending to have happen or describe. There's a scene where Lucy's having a conversation with Fred's mom; everything seems perfectly normal and then suddenly Lucy's sobbing. Then the writing makes it seem like everything's back to normal. And then she's crying. Like, the words and descriptions on the page didn't convey the entire scene the way it was playing out in the author's head. (I understand that grief manifests differently from person to person, but this wasn't a grief thing. It was a writing thing.) Also, another scene: she's looking for her dad, who hollers that he's down in the basement. She goes down into the basement. And he's startled to see her there. ???
A lot of really bizarre similes: "it made a noise like a tub of Vaseline falling into the toilet." "...the way strangers hang around, useless, like when someone has had a seizure in a grocery store." "The smell was pungent, like opening a fridge that contained a rotting animal." Very descriptive, but these are coming from our 12-year-old narrator. How many 12-year-olds have seen multiple people have seizures in a grocery store? Or opened fridges with rotting animals inside?!
It had a very sweet ending, but the whole rest of the book just felt very awkward to me.
PLENTY OF SPOILERS AHEAD.
There was a lot that just didn't mesh up in this book for me. First off, the time period is very hazy. At first I thought it was modern day, and it's 100 pages in before we realize that it's all taking place in the mid-'90s. There's this weird "this is what a real woman looks like" conversation between Lucy and a friend that comes out of nowhere -- seriously, they're just in a comic book store, looking at comics, and the friend tells Lucy "Real women don't look like that." Which first off, I've always had issue with the "REAL" women discussion. We're all REAL. Anyway, later on, it's shown that this friend has kind of been an older sister figure to Lucy, so this conversation makes more sense -- but we don't have that info at the time of the convo at all, and it feels very random. Then there are callbacks to it throughout the book, again, even though it didn't seem very important or like the characters were dealing with some deep-seated issues there.
Of course, the big crux of the story was obviously going to be Fred dying. Saw it coming from page 1. But it was a weird situation and I didn't get how it happened. He jumped into the quarry, came back up, was fine, and then...got trapped by a tree? How did that happen? And I also saw that they were going to end up together if he hadn't died -- except Lucy didn't? So she's spending all this time trying to figure out what's happening, and were they going to be more than just friends, and I'm like "um duh girl." Everyone knew that was going to happen. Pretty dang obvious there. Let's get back to the story. Which is...you somehow need to find your mom's old study because of closure or something? And everyone is treating the study as though it's this huge mystery to be solved when...couldn't you just READ it to figure out what she was proposing? And then talk to the local other marine biologists to see if they'd heard of it (because um, they probably did, and huh, turns out that they've actually been working with it for years and it truly isn't a mystery and you took half the book to find out what they'd known all along)?
And you're weirdly terrified of sharks even though your mom obviously taught you plenty about how noble and magnificent they are, and your mom didn't even die from being eaten by a shark, so where'd this fear come from?
My copy was an ARC and maybe some of these concerns will be fixed in the final edition, but here goes: Some of the writing felt very disjointed, like the writing didn't match up with what the author was intending to have happen or describe. There's a scene where Lucy's having a conversation with Fred's mom; everything seems perfectly normal and then suddenly Lucy's sobbing. Then the writing makes it seem like everything's back to normal. And then she's crying. Like, the words and descriptions on the page didn't convey the entire scene the way it was playing out in the author's head. (I understand that grief manifests differently from person to person, but this wasn't a grief thing. It was a writing thing.) Also, another scene: she's looking for her dad, who hollers that he's down in the basement. She goes down into the basement. And he's startled to see her there. ???
A lot of really bizarre similes: "it made a noise like a tub of Vaseline falling into the toilet." "...the way strangers hang around, useless, like when someone has had a seizure in a grocery store." "The smell was pungent, like opening a fridge that contained a rotting animal." Very descriptive, but these are coming from our 12-year-old narrator. How many 12-year-olds have seen multiple people have seizures in a grocery store? Or opened fridges with rotting animals inside?!
It had a very sweet ending, but the whole rest of the book just felt very awkward to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 15, 2019First of all, a confession --- I tend to run the other way with "tender," "poignant," and "grief" in books for any age, especially if they are more or less contemporary. That said, I'd heard such praise for this title that I knew I had to read it. And having done so I completely understand the enthusiasm, while also having to say it still wasn't for me. The book is quiet, reflective, introspective, full of small moments, and long, long, long. I realize that when I do fall for this sort of book I tend to appreciate tighter and shorter, a good example being Kevin Henkes' Sweeping the Heart, also out this year. Both authors are exploring grief, both books are melancholy, but while this one feels just too much (for me, mind you), Henkes' feels just right. So there you are.
July 10, 2019
Heartbreakingly, achingly, gorgeously sad. Also heartwarming and beautiful and excellently crafted - what an absolute gift of a book. All the superlatives - I sobbed and finished it in one afternoon.
April 10, 2021
It has been a little bit since I have read a middle grade book, but I have really been in the mood for one recently. This book caught my eye because of the cover, and the premise sounded interesting too.
Kate Allen’s The Line Tender is a real and heartfelt look at loss and grief. Lucy Everhart lost her marine biologist mother when she was a young child, but as a preteen she is still reeling from her death. As Lucy enjoys the summer with her best friend Fred, their town is suddenly met with the arrival of a Great White shark. This sparks something in Lucy, reminding her of her mother. She then faces another loss and turns to her mother’s unfinished research. Through this, Lucy must grapple with what she lost in order to move forward again.
I really liked Lucy’s character and seeing her growth throughout the novel. It is always hard to lose loved ones, so it is very important we have conversations about this. Books like this can be very valuable for children to read. Allen does not shy away from loss and grief here. It felt real and honest.
Some of the writing was not my favorite throughout. There were also a few comments that seemed a little off or insensitive. There is a minor character with dementia later in the book, and another character makes a remark about someone shooting him if he ever got like the other character. I have heard sayings and jokes about getting older and falling apart and having someone “put you out of your misery,” but again this can come across as insensitive to those who have a loved one with dementia. This is something I wanted to address just so people, especially children, are aware and can prepare for it if they plan on reading this book.
One of my favorite parts of this book was the shark aspect. Even though I find them scary, I love learning about sharks. I enjoy documentaries and always try to watch shark week. It was interesting to see how Lucy discovered this field of marine biology and how it connected it to her mom. I absolutely loved the illustrations by Xingye Jin too.
*Content warning: animal death, necropsy, child death, loss of a loved one, aneurysm, grief, alcohol, dementia, mention of cancer, eating disorder, anxiety, panic attack, depression*
Kate Allen’s The Line Tender is a real and heartfelt look at loss and grief. Lucy Everhart lost her marine biologist mother when she was a young child, but as a preteen she is still reeling from her death. As Lucy enjoys the summer with her best friend Fred, their town is suddenly met with the arrival of a Great White shark. This sparks something in Lucy, reminding her of her mother. She then faces another loss and turns to her mother’s unfinished research. Through this, Lucy must grapple with what she lost in order to move forward again.
I really liked Lucy’s character and seeing her growth throughout the novel. It is always hard to lose loved ones, so it is very important we have conversations about this. Books like this can be very valuable for children to read. Allen does not shy away from loss and grief here. It felt real and honest.
Some of the writing was not my favorite throughout. There were also a few comments that seemed a little off or insensitive. There is a minor character with dementia later in the book, and another character makes a remark about someone shooting him if he ever got like the other character. I have heard sayings and jokes about getting older and falling apart and having someone “put you out of your misery,” but again this can come across as insensitive to those who have a loved one with dementia. This is something I wanted to address just so people, especially children, are aware and can prepare for it if they plan on reading this book.
One of my favorite parts of this book was the shark aspect. Even though I find them scary, I love learning about sharks. I enjoy documentaries and always try to watch shark week. It was interesting to see how Lucy discovered this field of marine biology and how it connected it to her mom. I absolutely loved the illustrations by Xingye Jin too.
*Content warning: animal death, necropsy, child death, loss of a loved one, aneurysm, grief, alcohol, dementia, mention of cancer, eating disorder, anxiety, panic attack, depression*
August 8, 2019
A moving book about Lucy Everheart and her father. Lucy's mother died when she was seven. What remains is her marine biologist mother's love of the ocean and all things shark. As Lucy prepares for a long, lazy summer hanging out with her friend Fred, things begin to take a new turn when a great white shark is caught in the bay.
There are drawings here that are nicely done and a story that just swept me away with all of its heartache and healing.
There are drawings here that are nicely done and a story that just swept me away with all of its heartache and healing.
July 2, 2019
This book. THIS BOOK.
This book will sit with me for a while. It is beautifully written and really dives into grief and the coping mechanisms we create for ourselves. I seriously want a copy for my own personal collection.
This book will sit with me for a while. It is beautifully written and really dives into grief and the coping mechanisms we create for ourselves. I seriously want a copy for my own personal collection.
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January 8, 2019This middle-grade novel about loss, grief and recovery after a death has a second tragedy early in the story that, for me, came too soon, left me feeling cheated, and made the book top-heavy. My head understands why the author made this choice (it propels a grief-stuck family and friends to come to terms with the death of five years before), and yet my heart felt the second tragedy coming so soon in the book didn't give me sufficient time with and investment in the object of that tragedy. And still, and yet, much here to recommend, and I'll be looking for the next book from Allen. Remarkable marine line art and gorgeous, fitting cover.
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May 23, 2020This book is not for me. I do not feel/connect at all for the main character. Read up to 40% of the ebook.
October 24, 2025
A unique read that should have been young-adult due to the content despite the 12 year old protagonist that acted much younger. The reader starts the story thinking it takes place in today's time, but at the 30% mark it's revealed that the year is around 1996 which put the story into a different perspective. The twist comes when Lucy and her best friend Fred hang out with Fred's older sisters in the evening. His older sisters (16 and 17) hang with some boys and they venture to a rock quarry in the dark. The teens pass around alcohol and let the 12 year olds get drunk (along with themselves). They all decide to go for a swim and Fred drowns.
The drowning was supposed to be the pivotal point that drew emotion from the reader, but it fell flat since unfortunate decisions were made that caused fatal consequences. The story included facts about sharks and other marine life, and I liked how it took place near the Cape in Massachusetts. The characters were the downfall since everything Lucy did was impulsive and her dad and family friends just went along with it.
Thanks Edelweiss for the ARC.
The drowning was supposed to be the pivotal point that drew emotion from the reader, but it fell flat since unfortunate decisions were made that caused fatal consequences. The story included facts about sharks and other marine life, and I liked how it took place near the Cape in Massachusetts. The characters were the downfall since everything Lucy did was impulsive and her dad and family friends just went along with it.
Thanks Edelweiss for the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2018
This book is beautiful inside and out. I honestly have a huge fear of sharks and always will, but now I have a little bit more appreciation for them (though this book is not entirely about sharks). Even with my fear of sharks I loved just about everything in this book. Its more of a character driven book with sweet moment between people who are grieving and those who had drifted away. This is a sweet simple book that will tug at your heart strings yet leave a smile on your face.
March 7, 2019
This was a poignant novel. It reminded me of The Thing About Jellyfish, which is one of my favorite books. The interior illustrations were beautiful. <3
October 16, 2019
One of my favorite middle grade readers of 2019. Strong Newbery contender.
April 15, 2019
“The Line Tender” written by Kate Allen is a soul-stirring upper middle grade novel that takes place in coastal Rockport, Massachusetts and follows almost 13 year old Lucy as she navigates her world without her mother by her side. Great white sharks permeate this heartening narrative bringing exciting facts and a bit of mystery around the sharks reemergence so far north.
Lucy, nor her father have quite come to terms with her mother’s unexpected death 5 years ago, but this generations old fishing community has enveloped them with warmth and kindness and now have become a new sort of family. And especially Fred, Lucy’s very best friend, who’s a smart, (marine biology enthusiast (just like Lucy’s mom).
He’s also a kindhearted, old soul and not afraid to hand Lucy a box of Midol when she shows up at his front door having just gotten her first period.
Unfortunately, when tragedy touches this close knit community again, old wounds are made new. But the people unite again, brought together by the uptick in sightings of great white sharks, as well as a link strengthened by such a strong communal history.
This book is chock full of oceanography, marine biology and shark facts (and beautiful sketches) and makes a superb living book.
Thank you Penguin Kids publishing for sending us this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review!
Lucy, nor her father have quite come to terms with her mother’s unexpected death 5 years ago, but this generations old fishing community has enveloped them with warmth and kindness and now have become a new sort of family. And especially Fred, Lucy’s very best friend, who’s a smart, (marine biology enthusiast (just like Lucy’s mom).
He’s also a kindhearted, old soul and not afraid to hand Lucy a box of Midol when she shows up at his front door having just gotten her first period.
Unfortunately, when tragedy touches this close knit community again, old wounds are made new. But the people unite again, brought together by the uptick in sightings of great white sharks, as well as a link strengthened by such a strong communal history.
This book is chock full of oceanography, marine biology and shark facts (and beautiful sketches) and makes a superb living book.
Thank you Penguin Kids publishing for sending us this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review!
April 11, 2019
A middle-grade coming of age story about a very resilient girl trying to make sense of her mother's death, her father's pulling back from the world and the sudden loss of her best friend. There are so many things a young girl has to deal with - her feelings towards boys, changes in her body and her independence from her parents but Lucy could not have been more unprepared to deal with this or anything else after she loses her best friend (and potential boyfriend) just a few years after losing her mom. Thankfully, she lives in a small town that takes care of their own. In dealing with her grief, Lucy becomes obsessed with finishing the work on a study of sharks that her scientist mom began. As she investigates the shark study, she learns more about her mom and finds a way to overcome her loss. Not only is this a great book for anyone who is fascinated by sharks but it is also a heartwarming book about loss, love and handling grief in your own way. Lucy is a force of nature and one of the toughest kids I have ever read about. The shark pencil sketches are an added bonus. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
June 6, 2019
This book delivered an unexpected gut-punch that stayed with me through the end. The reason it’s so successful is that the reader truly gets to know these characters and they feel real. When a book can elicit such strong emotion in me, I recognize its power and the writer’s abilities, even if I don’t want to say that I “like” it. The Rockport, MA setting and Red Sox and Moxie references are an added bonus for this lifelong Sox fan. Highly recommended.
March 27, 2019
I can see why librarians like this, because it feels like the heir to Katherine Paterson during her Newbery era. The writing is beautiful and spare, and while the characters felt very REAL, they didn't feel entirely plausible. The imagery was so vivid that reading this was like watching an independent movie, but the plotting also felt like an independent movie, with quick cuts and abrupt transitions.
I liked it, even as I'm still forming opinions on it. Will kids like it? Maybe those who liked The Thing About Jellyfish. (I liked The Thing About Jellyfish.) But the narrative felt like looking at childhood through the lens of adulthood, and I don't know if that will have the most middle-grade appeal.
I liked it, even as I'm still forming opinions on it. Will kids like it? Maybe those who liked The Thing About Jellyfish. (I liked The Thing About Jellyfish.) But the narrative felt like looking at childhood through the lens of adulthood, and I don't know if that will have the most middle-grade appeal.
September 9, 2019
This book! 💔❤️ I don’t think I can find the words to describe my feelings for Lucy, Fred, and all the characters. Found myself weeping, sobbing, and smiling at different places. The writing is gorgeous, and the setting is so familiar to me that it just felt like home. I don’t want to give anything away here, but this may be my favorite book of the summer and high up in my all-time fave list. The characters are connected to one another like the Tom’s (Lucy’s Dad) dive team, but it’s subtle and moving, and adds heart to the story. (I want to know how Kate Allen pulled together these scenes, these ideas of sharing grief and loss without typical tropes.) Don’t miss this one-I would recommend for grades 5+ (with some grade 4 readers, who may be ready for this one).
April 10, 2019
Shark! The capture of a Great White close to Rockport, Massachusetts sets the tone for this new middle grade book about Lucy and her quest to learn about her dead mother, a renowned biologist specializing in sharks. This book contains some really great shark facts as well as a good bit of tragedy. Love the little band of folks that Lucy accumulates as she sets a goal of continuing her mother's work. The shark illustrations throughout are top notch. Would recommend to older kids.
A big thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this debut middle grade novel in exchange for an honest review.
A big thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this debut middle grade novel in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2020
I really liked this book. It was heartbreaking, hopeful, and witty all at the same time. I was rooting for Lucy and her community every step of their journey. This book was quite frankly beautiful and poignant, but also smart and thoughtful. I am not personally interested in marine biology, but I still found this book gripping. I recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction, and/or marine biology.
March 24, 2020
This book was very good! I really enjoyed the way it was written and the details added. There was also many unexpected turns the book took, which made it even more fun to read. Also when reading this book I learned a lot about sharks I never knew before. I would definitely recommend this book to any reader!
May 23, 2020
This may be the saddest book I have ever read. Not have a box of tissues nearby, simply sad. Fans of stories about grief Lindsey Stoddard's Right as Rain will like this one.
June 21, 2019
Read it in 3 straight hours. So unspeakably sad, but beautifully written.
June 22, 2019
I loved this. I loved the writing. I loved the characters. I held it to my chest when I was done.
May 10, 2020
This book came out of nowhere for me. I was hesitant to pick it up (the extra copy my library ordered has been sitting on my bedroom floor for months) but I finally decided to give it a try. For some reason, when I ordered it, I thought it was historical fiction. And I also thought it looked a bit weighty, in a bad way.
I was wrong on both of those accounts.
This is a deftly nuanced look at grief as it affects people in waves and ripples. It ties facts about sharks, and the ocean, into a look at life when horrible things happen, and it does it in a way that feels natural and easy. There is no forced connection to the nature aspects. It just works.
Lucy's mother was a marine biologist who studied sharks. Her father is a diver for the local police department. Her entire life has been spent by the water and with people obsessed with the mysteries underneath the surface. But her mother died years ago, in a tragic accident that had nothing to do with the ocean, and she left much of her shark research incomplete. Now, mysteriously, a great white has shown up along Lucy's coastline and she is having a hard time thinking about anything else. When another horrible accident occurs, Lucy struggles to find a way to move past her grief and make sense of what has happened. Along with her father, her elderly neighbor, and a local fisherman, Lucy searches for answers on the elusive great white shark and to understanding her mother.
Highly recommend.
I was wrong on both of those accounts.
This is a deftly nuanced look at grief as it affects people in waves and ripples. It ties facts about sharks, and the ocean, into a look at life when horrible things happen, and it does it in a way that feels natural and easy. There is no forced connection to the nature aspects. It just works.
Lucy's mother was a marine biologist who studied sharks. Her father is a diver for the local police department. Her entire life has been spent by the water and with people obsessed with the mysteries underneath the surface. But her mother died years ago, in a tragic accident that had nothing to do with the ocean, and she left much of her shark research incomplete. Now, mysteriously, a great white has shown up along Lucy's coastline and she is having a hard time thinking about anything else. When another horrible accident occurs, Lucy struggles to find a way to move past her grief and make sense of what has happened. Along with her father, her elderly neighbor, and a local fisherman, Lucy searches for answers on the elusive great white shark and to understanding her mother.
Highly recommend.
March 26, 2021
The main theme of this book was loss.
There was more than one loss in this book and they affected Lucy differently. I thought that the climactic event occurred too quickly in the book and that the book dragged after that point. The writing and the character development, however, were great.
So my feelings about this book were mixed.
There was more than one loss in this book and they affected Lucy differently. I thought that the climactic event occurred too quickly in the book and that the book dragged after that point. The writing and the character development, however, were great.
So my feelings about this book were mixed.
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