  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/01/2019 Twelve-year-old Louisa and her younger brother, Theo, spend every summer on Deer Island with their grandparents Jake and Boots while their parents do bird research. On the cusp of her teens, Louisa fears change yet knows it is inevitable. This summer, Jake contemplates blindness and giving up his beloved 1938 Cord car, and Boots becomes secretive. Theo dreams of living permanently with his grandparents, while Louisa explores her budding friendship with George. A project involving interviews and artwork highlighting some of the island’s notable citizens brings many of the novel’s subplots together and leads to a satisfying conclusion. Newbery author MacLachlan’s writing is both lyrical and succinct, providing readers with everything they need yet leaving much room for contemplation. Her depictions of love are particularly idealized: Jake and Boots, who met as children, still dance; George’s mixed-race parents share frequent PDA; and Louisa’s career-driven parents (whom Boots describes as dense but “disturbingly” intelligent) keep their emotions to themselves. Louisa and George’s blossoming relationship is both heartwarming and rare, perfect in its dreamy innocence. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. Loading...
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