lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those very quiet books - not a ton of action, not a ton of emotion (although there is a lot of emotion under the surface), just a simple story.
Mitch's father has moved in with another woman, so Mitch's mom moves them to Bird Lake, where her parents have a house. These are those distant, don't-know-what-to-do-with-kids/don't-really-want-kids-around kind of grandparents, exactly what Mitch doesn't need right now. He starts claiming the decrepit, unlived-in house next door, only to be displaced by the "intruders" (aka "the rightful owners").
The Stone family has a tragedy of its own, the drowning several summers ago of Matty, the oldest son. Spencer thinks that Mitch's attempts to drive them away are the work of Matty's ghost, but ultimately the two become friends and he learns that it was Mitch, not Matty, that did things.
Neither boy seems happy, and neither seem to have any real place that's theirs - their friendship seems more of two lost souls finding one another than anything that could last.
This is a quick read, and I'm afraid that it's not one that's going to stick with the reader for very long; unless, that is, the reader is a youngish boy who's going through something similar.
Mitch's father has moved in with another woman, so Mitch's mom moves them to Bird Lake, where her parents have a house. These are those distant, don't-know-what-to-do-with-kids/don't-really-want-kids-around kind of grandparents, exactly what Mitch doesn't need right now. He starts claiming the decrepit, unlived-in house next door, only to be displaced by the "intruders" (aka "the rightful owners").
The Stone family has a tragedy of its own, the drowning several summers ago of Matty, the oldest son. Spencer thinks that Mitch's attempts to drive them away are the work of Matty's ghost, but ultimately the two become friends and he learns that it was Mitch, not Matty, that did things.
Neither boy seems happy, and neither seem to have any real place that's theirs - their friendship seems more of two lost souls finding one another than anything that could last.
This is a quick read, and I'm afraid that it's not one that's going to stick with the reader for very long; unless, that is, the reader is a youngish boy who's going through something similar.
ryannreads's review against another edition
3.0
This story is a moment in time of two boys and their families - Mitch, 12, is dealing with the first changes that come with his parents divorce while living with his grandparents. He longs to live in the house next door and is devasted when the actual owners come to stay. Spencer, 10, is visiting the summer home with his family for the first time since his older brother drowned there ten years before. Beautiful writing and wonderful characters make up this story that spotlights a difficult time in each family and shows elements of hope and healing without tying anything up in a pretty bow.
ps...I listened to the audio version and I enjoyed the voices used by the narrator.
ps...I listened to the audio version and I enjoyed the voices used by the narrator.
abigailbat's review against another edition
3.0
Mitch is at the lake because his parents are getting a D-I-V-O-R-C-E and he and his mom are staying with his grandparents while she gets things sorted out. Spencer is at the lake because his brother died there when he was little and his mom wanted to see if she could stand being there again. Each of the boys is dealing with his own problems and they'll come together to form a brief friendship that's exactly what they needed at that moment.
It was fine. Well-written. But kind of boring. Felt kind of timeless, like it could be modern but it could have been 50 years ago.
It was fine. Well-written. But kind of boring. Felt kind of timeless, like it could be modern but it could have been 50 years ago.
elisehedlund's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was ok. The characters were very interesting but didn't develop much. There wasn't much to the plot and not much happened, but it was enjoyable to read.
mholtzy's review against another edition
3.0
Nice writing. His characters didn't have me and I didn't think the "tense" moment was as engaging. But I always dig a story about heading to a lake for a time.
aklibrarychick's review against another edition
2.0
Kevin Henkes writes an adorable series of picture books about little mice that my kids just love. When I saw he also wrote YA novels, I decided to check a couple out. This is the first one I read, and I was somewhat disappointed. Not that it was awful or uninteresting, but I just expected more given how clever and sweet his picture books are.
It deals with the converging tales of two young boys, one who's parents have recently separated, and the other whose family is still recovering from a tragic death eight years before. Their lives become intertwined, and the boys find a common bond. It would be a good book for a boy who has a tough family situation. How the boys learn to cope with their respective problems and go forward in a positive way is one good aspect of the book.
I'll give one of his other books a chance, but this one wasn't great, just OK.
It deals with the converging tales of two young boys, one who's parents have recently separated, and the other whose family is still recovering from a tragic death eight years before. Their lives become intertwined, and the boys find a common bond. It would be a good book for a boy who has a tough family situation. How the boys learn to cope with their respective problems and go forward in a positive way is one good aspect of the book.
I'll give one of his other books a chance, but this one wasn't great, just OK.
larsipoo's review against another edition
3.0
brief note because I don't have much time to write a longer review--
as usual, henkes proves that he has incredible insight, especially into the emotions of children during difficult times, but there was something lacking about the book. his writing is definitely captivating, and i loved the two boys at the center of the story, and enjoyed seeing them evolve little by little. but at the end (and I literally finished 5 minutes ago), I was left feeling like there was something missing. maybe it wasn't long enough? maybe I wanted to read more about their lives/what happens next? might have expected more out of it than he really intended there to be -- maybe it was just supposed to be a snapshot of these boys' lives, their emotions, etc.
as usual, henkes proves that he has incredible insight, especially into the emotions of children during difficult times, but there was something lacking about the book. his writing is definitely captivating, and i loved the two boys at the center of the story, and enjoyed seeing them evolve little by little. but at the end (and I literally finished 5 minutes ago), I was left feeling like there was something missing. maybe it wasn't long enough? maybe I wanted to read more about their lives/what happens next? might have expected more out of it than he really intended there to be -- maybe it was just supposed to be a snapshot of these boys' lives, their emotions, etc.
urmomloveselrond's review against another edition
1.0
Not worth reading. I couldn't even pay attention because it was so boring.
graggirl's review against another edition
3.0
THREE AND A HALF STARS!!! Henkes does such a good job showing the perspective of his characters. What I loved about this book was that it was gentle, quiet, and that everything didn't get wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end. 2/3 of my kids gave it two thumbs up. It wasn't exciting enough for my son. But, I did see so much of my son in Spencer and Mitch. This is a great book to read to help kids understand that everyone comes to situations with their own viewpoints and emotional baggage and that so much of what we think others are doing to us is actually reflection of what is going on for them personally. This is also a great book to discuss empathy. And a reminder to parents that our kids are trying to navigate so much on their own and aren't always openly discussing their feelings and fears.