Fiction by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Elle's mother is helping her move into her own apartment in New York City. Her mother tells Frank, Elle's friendly next-door-neighbor, that she's a little nervous at leaving her just-turned-eighteen-year-old only child there alone with just a cat from the animal shelter as a companion. Elle doesn't say it, but this is a lie.
There IS a cat, Mother IS nervous, and Elle IS alone. But she hasn't just turned eighteen. Elle's birthday is coming up in a few days, but it's her sixteenth birthday. Mother has a new boyfriend who "doesn't do teenagers," and Elle is being moved out of the way. Plus Elle is starting a new high school where she knows no one and doesn't know how to fit in.
Frank the neighbor and his wife Molly take Elle under their wing and try to look after her, but it turns out that they have a few problems of their own. This was a lovely little story with great characters.
I also read recently by this author: The Day I Killed James
No comments:
Post a Comment