Thursday, September 10, 2015

Edgewater.

EdgewaterSheinmel, Courtney. Edgewater.
September 8th 2015 by Amulet Books
E ARC from Netgalley.com

Lorrie is sent home early from a posh equestrian camp because her aunt has not paid the bills. When Lorrie gets home, she finds her younger sister, Savannah, left to her own devices while her aunt is being depressed and not taking care of either financial matters or the girls. Lorrie manages to get a job at a local stable, hoping to get enough money to get her horse sent home, but things are even worse than she imagined. When she goes to the bank, there is no trust fund. Utilities are cut off, there is not food, and she has lost her place at the boarding school she planned on attending for her senior year. On the bright side, she meets Charlie, the son of a senator with a powerful wife who is planning to run for Congress, and the two have a nice romance. Helped by her best friend, Lennox, whose mothers are wealthy, Lorrie learns the truth about her mother's disappearance and the family income, and is finally able to get the help that all three of the women need to move on with their lives.
Strengths:This is the sort of sad book my students like (children who are abused or abandoned and manage to persevere), and Sheinmel is a great writer. The horse aspect will interest many readers, and the falling down mansion is appealing. The political intrigue is not something that makes its way into a lot of YA literature.
Weaknesses: The political intrigue and connection between the two families seemed a bit forced, as did the mystery of what happened to the mother.
What I really think:  Sheinmel chooses to use unnecessary f-bombs several times, so I am choosing not to buy the book.

1 comment:

  1. Cool cover. It says "I'm not your typical horse book. But I'm still a horse book."

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