A review by kbranfield
Local Girl Swept Away by Ellen Wittlinger
4.0
4.5 stars.
Local Girl Swept Away by Ellen Wittlinger is a captivating young adult novel about a group of teenagers trying to cope with the loss of a beloved friend.
Best friends since the fourth grade, Jackie Silva, Lucas Baskin-Snow and Finn Rudolph are devastated when Lorna Trovato is swept out to sea during a storm. In the aftermath of her disappearance, Jackie and Finn console one another while Lucas avoids them then leaves town for the summer. Although deeply saddened by Lorna’s death, Jackie handles her grief much better than Finn and she renews her friendship with another childhood friend, Char. As Lorna’s boyfriend, Finn deeply mourns her loss until Jackie forces him to stop wallowing in grief. Completely perplexed by Lucas’s reaction to Lorna’s death, Jackie continues trying to get in touch with him but she eventually gives up when her texts and e-mails go unanswered. Just as the three friends are moving on with their lives, Jackie makes a shocking discovery which forces her re-evaluate everything she thinks she knows about Lorna.
Jackie spends the most of her free time with Finn until an awkward kiss drives a wedge between them. She then throws herself into her job at a local art gallery run by Finn’s mother, Elsie. Closely working with thirty year old Cooper Thorne, she falls under his spell as he encourages her to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. She also welcomes his wildly inappropriate romantic interest despite the huge age difference between them.
Jackie is relieved when her relationship with Finn resumes but they do not see eye to eye when Lucas returns home and reveals some very troubling information about Lorna. After his shocking revelation, she begins to view Lorna a little more realistically but she still idolizes her vibrant, spirited friend. Jackie remains troubled about the circumstances surrounding Lorna’s disappearance and she continues trying to make sense of what happened that fateful night. A stunning discovery confuses her but her loyalty to her friend puts her in the uncomfortable position of keeping secrets from the people she cares about. Jackie becomes even more conflicted when new information comes to light but will her conscience allow her to maintain her silence?
Local Girl Swept Away is an engaging young adult novel with a fast-paced and moving storyline. The characters are interesting with realistic strengths and weaknesses and their reactions to the various situations ring true. Ellen Wittlinger’s vibrant descriptions of Provincetown make it very easy to visualize the picturesque seaside town. While some aspects of the plot are a little predictable, readers will be pleasantly surprised by the novel’s very unexpected conclusion.
Local Girl Swept Away by Ellen Wittlinger is a captivating young adult novel about a group of teenagers trying to cope with the loss of a beloved friend.
Best friends since the fourth grade, Jackie Silva, Lucas Baskin-Snow and Finn Rudolph are devastated when Lorna Trovato is swept out to sea during a storm. In the aftermath of her disappearance, Jackie and Finn console one another while Lucas avoids them then leaves town for the summer. Although deeply saddened by Lorna’s death, Jackie handles her grief much better than Finn and she renews her friendship with another childhood friend, Char. As Lorna’s boyfriend, Finn deeply mourns her loss until Jackie forces him to stop wallowing in grief. Completely perplexed by Lucas’s reaction to Lorna’s death, Jackie continues trying to get in touch with him but she eventually gives up when her texts and e-mails go unanswered. Just as the three friends are moving on with their lives, Jackie makes a shocking discovery which forces her re-evaluate everything she thinks she knows about Lorna.
Jackie spends the most of her free time with Finn until an awkward kiss drives a wedge between them. She then throws herself into her job at a local art gallery run by Finn’s mother, Elsie. Closely working with thirty year old Cooper Thorne, she falls under his spell as he encourages her to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. She also welcomes his wildly inappropriate romantic interest despite the huge age difference between them.
Jackie is relieved when her relationship with Finn resumes but they do not see eye to eye when Lucas returns home and reveals some very troubling information about Lorna. After his shocking revelation, she begins to view Lorna a little more realistically but she still idolizes her vibrant, spirited friend. Jackie remains troubled about the circumstances surrounding Lorna’s disappearance and she continues trying to make sense of what happened that fateful night. A stunning discovery confuses her but her loyalty to her friend puts her in the uncomfortable position of keeping secrets from the people she cares about. Jackie becomes even more conflicted when new information comes to light but will her conscience allow her to maintain her silence?
Local Girl Swept Away is an engaging young adult novel with a fast-paced and moving storyline. The characters are interesting with realistic strengths and weaknesses and their reactions to the various situations ring true. Ellen Wittlinger’s vibrant descriptions of Provincetown make it very easy to visualize the picturesque seaside town. While some aspects of the plot are a little predictable, readers will be pleasantly surprised by the novel’s very unexpected conclusion.