Lonely Heart
Karin StoryYoung Adult
Available from Amber Quill Press
ISBN: 1-59279-996-5
| Alyxandra Mossman has had a hard time growing up, and it has not gotten any easier since her move from New York City to Heart, Colorado. Alyx dresses too differently; she thinks strangely; and most of all she does not even fit in her own home. How can she expect to fit in at a rural high school? Carrie Eberson, a super-talkative ninth grader, befriends her on the bus one morning and for some reason just does not take the hint to go away. Tom Eberson, the football quarterback, is Carrie’s older brother. Carrie might not see that he is everything a girl could want. Alyx can, but Alyx does not understand that Tom wants her. Tom and Carrie adopt Alyx into their family and into their lives. With the threat of a girl named Randi, they each figure out that not everything is perfect even when it looks that way, and not everything is as bad as they had thought.
Ms. Story does a marvelous job of capturing the mannerisms, the language and the attitudes that teenagers possess. Life is never easy and being a teenager stuck in a world you do not fit in to or you do not have control of your own space is just about as hard as it can get. Ms. Story catches the blush of first love, the horror of high school, and the trial and tribulations they bring. Alyx is not your typical heroine; she is shy, worried that she does not fit in, and concerned that she let down her friend Sadie. Tom is portrayed with strength, kindness, and a brashness that are so apropos for a teenage boy, but his depth of character is what makes him beautiful. Carrie is just Carrie. She is bubbly, strong, emotional, and just so delightful that you cannot help but feel not only her laughter but also her pain. This is a coming of age story, a story about the strength of understanding and a love story. But most of all Lonely Heart is a poignant story that everyone will enjoy from the pre-teen to the adult.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Sara Sawyer |
