Rating=Very Good
HarperTeen, 2007, $16.00
ISBN: 978-0060541453
Age Level: Young Adult
Take a dash of mystery, an estranged and eccentric father, a strange “vacation” in Italy trapped on a boat with her father’s new girlfriend and you have a recipe for Clio’s worst nightmare. When Clio is sent to her father for the summer, she gives up her only chance of being kissed – something at 17 she has yet to do – by Ollie, her current crush and whole reason she spends more time at the art store than she needs to. She even lands a job there, but is sent to Italy before her first shift. When she arrives, she meets Julia, her father’s new girlfriend, and Elsa, Julia’s daughter. She also meets Aidan, the not-as-good-looking-as-Ollie graduate student assistant who both intrigues and infuriates her. They are all close-lipped about what’s going on, but soon there’s going to be more excitement than just Elsa trying to have a fling with Aidan whether he likes it or not.
As a male reviewer, I found it hard to get into this book. The mystery element was fun and heightening the tension is a small historical story told in 2-3 page snippets that eventually intersects with Clio’s adventure. And there is the problem: Clio. She’s just too unsympathetic of a character and Johnson takes too much time setting up the small love triangle with Elsa, Clio, and Aidan. I know teens are unpredictable and a bit erratic, but it is difficult to care about Clio’s kissing troubles. So while I don’t recommend it for guy readers, and it certainly won’t pull in reluctant male readers, I do think that girls will enjoy the relationships that are at the forefront of the book’s narrative mixed with the other elements.
I wanted to give the book a fair shake and consulted with my Children’s Librarian, Allison Tran. She had this to say: “With its exploration of family relations and self discovery combined with an appealing mix of mystery, adventure, romance, and an intriguing historical back-story, this book is girlish but not fluffy and has a little something for every reader.”
Well, there we go. The book is readable and flows well, and Allison is right – it does have a little of everything. So even with my complaints, I do recommend this book. I think it will appeal to girls and maybe even the occasional guy reader. Readers who enjoyed Maureen Johnson’s other book 13 Little Blue Envelopes will enjoy this as well.
Reviewer: Tim Scott, Orange County Public Library/Aliso Viejo Branch
