Out of the Blue - Softcover

Grade 5-7?The shock not only comes out of the blue, but it also casts a blue haze over 12-year-old Megan's perfect life. When her mother announces that she has rediscovered the child she had at 17 and gave up for adoption, everyone but Megan seems thrilled. When Natalie, now a 24-year-old Ph.D student in astronomy, invites the family to be part of her wedding, Mom becomes crazed with catering plans, 5-year-old sister Betsy is excited at being a flower girl, and Dad is supportive. Megan struggles with her emotions, searching for a "sense of family and self" at their island cottage, which is filled with generations of memories and serves as a reflective backdrop. When she finds a Japanese fishing float, it becomes a symbol for her confused state and a resolution for her feelings. Finely crafted characterizations convey Megan's resentment, Betsy's precociousness, and Mom's preoccupation with melding present and past. Experience and emotion are interwoven in poignant descriptions like "she stayed inside herself like peanut butter in a jar." Another portrayal of a contemporary family forced to refocus, written by an author who is in touch with real life and relationships.?Julie Cummins, New York Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 5^-7. When 12-year-old Megan's mother suddenly takes off her "let's-get-things-organized coat" and becomes "this soft, slow person" who sings soppy songs, Megan knows something's up. And indeed it is. It seems Mum has made contact with the daughter she gave up for adoption many years ago, meaning Megan has a 24-year-old half-sister--a surprise that challenges Megan's trust in grown-ups and shakes up her childhood world. Ellis' handling of the family dynamics is quiet and sure, and her characters (with the exception of sentimental Mum) are fresh, appealing--and imperfect. It's no real surprise that Megan decides to accept Natalie. What is unusual is Megan's motivation for doing so. Her decision isn't rooted in sisterly affection; rather, it stems from Megan's understanding of how Natalie must have felt growing up and Megan's sudden discovery that Natalie is the sort of interesting person it's always nice to know. No angst-filled drama here; instead, readers get a solid, credible adjustment story. Stephanie Zvirin