Love, Aubrey

This debut novel by Suzanne LaFleur tells the story of eleven-year-old Aubrey and the way she overcomes tragedy. When the story opens, Aubrey is living alone, subsisting on cheese and crackers and Spaghetti-Os. But what has happened to the rest of Aubrey's family? Why is she alone? Slowly but surely, it is revealed that a few months ago her father and younger sister were killed in a car crash. Though she and her mother survived, grief has haunted both of them and finally drove Aubrey's mother away in a state of broken confusion. Now Aubrey is forced to deal with the sorrow over loosing not only her father and sister, but also her mother who failed to take care of her. Things start to look up, however, when Aubrey's Gram shows up on the doorstep and begins the process of helping Aubrey pick up the pieces of her life. The two go back to Gram's home in Vermont where Aubrey makes friends with the girl next door, writes letters to her sister's imaginary friend, and slowly learns to talk about these tragic events and how they make her feel. But there is still a hole left in Aubrey's heart and she longs for her mother to reappear. When she finally does turn up, however, Aubrey quickly learns that rebuilding their lives will take more than simply being together.

This is a stunningly emotional tale of grief and recovery. There were several scenes that made me cry, and I'd definitely give this book to anyone looking for a good tear-jerker. Watching Aubrey's character open up and learn to discuss her feelings rather than bury them will certainly tug at reader's heartstrings. Aubrey's letters are excellent examples of her emotional catharsis - brief, but packed with so much emotion. More importantly, LaFleur seems to have creatd a very authentic eleven-year-old voice that balances maturity and love with developmentally appropriate selfishness.

Overall Grade: A+