An intriguing but uneven tale of environmental activists.
In this novel, a teenager joins the fight to save the Chesapeake Bay from pollution.
Recent high school graduate Donna Burgess gets a position helping a nonprofit to—among other things—prove that a large corporation is polluting Chesapeake Bay. At first, it’s just a summer job, but the pollution is having an impact on her neighborhood. After the group collects water samples, the Chesapeake Bay Coalition’s boat nearly capsizes, either because of age or an act of tampering. “We almost drowned out there,” Donna tells a cohort. This is a recurring theme in the tale—no one is sure if the coalition’s resources are just old or if someone is sabotaging them. Donna gets a crash course in the ups and downs of nonprofit work; she is told she’s the special guestat a fundraiser and dresses up for the event only to discover that she’s actually going to be a server. She also attends important meetings in the hopes of preventing the Glendale Corporation from polluting the bay. But at every step of the way, she and her colleagues encounter Glendale employees willing to pay them to go away. Each time this happens, Donna digs in her heels, willing to fight for her neighborhood instead of letting the coalition compromise. This creates a rift between Donna and others in the coalition who want to accept Glendale’s donation of land for a wildlife refuge even if it won’t stop the corporation from polluting the bay. Donna’s conviction hardens when she learns that many of her neighbors, and possibly her own mother, have been diagnosed with cancer. While Chandler’s book is compact at 212 pages, there are plenty of captivating tangents and subplots and rich environmental details. The protagonist copes with a wide array of intense emotions. There are the teenage hijinks and feelings of angst Donna experiences—normal for a recent high school graduate—and her deep passion for her work with the coalition. But a few of the minor threads—including Donna’s crush on her sister’s boyfriend—distract from the main plot. As a result, Donna is both a dreamy teenager and an uptight scold at times. And even with a positive message, the tone of the story is often cynical, which some readers may find off-putting.
An intriguing but uneven tale of environmental activists.Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2022
ISBN: 979-8420934593
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.
A travel writer has one last shot at reconnecting with the best friend she just might be in love with.
Poppy and Alex couldn't be more different. She loves wearing bright colors while he prefers khakis and a T-shirt. She likes just about everything while he’s a bit more discerning. And yet, their opposites-attract friendship works because they love each other…in a totally platonic way. Probably. Even though they have their own separate lives (Poppy lives in New York City and is a travel writer with a popular Instagram account; Alex is a high school teacher in their tiny Ohio hometown), they still manage to get together each summer for one fabulous vacation. They grow closer every year, but Poppy doesn’t let herself linger on her feelings for Alex—she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship or the way she can be fully herself with him. They continue to date other people, even bringing their serious partners on their summer vacations…but then, after a falling-out, they stop speaking. When Poppy finds herself facing a serious bout of ennui, unhappy with her glamorous job and the life she’s been dreaming of forever, she thinks back to the last time she was truly happy: her last vacation with Alex. And so, though they haven’t spoken in two years, she asks him to take another vacation with her. She’s determined to bridge the gap that’s formed between them and become best friends again, but to do that, she’ll have to be honest with Alex—and herself—about her true feelings. In chapters that jump around in time, Henry shows readers the progression (and dissolution) of Poppy and Alex’s friendship. Their slow-burn love story hits on beloved romance tropes (such as there unexpectedly being only one bed on the reconciliation trip Poppy plans) while still feeling entirely fresh. Henry’s biggest strength is in the sparkling, often laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue, particularly the banter-filled conversations between Poppy and Alex. But there’s depth to the story, too—Poppy’s feeling of dissatisfaction with a life that should be making her happy as well as her unresolved feelings toward the difficult parts of her childhood make her a sympathetic and relatable character. The end result is a story that pays homage to classic romantic comedies while having a point of view all its own.
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0675-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
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