"With a keen eye, a wise and humorous spirit, and an understanding heart, Garret Freymann-Weyr offers a funny, fast-paced and delightful, yet also deeply moving account of a young woman coming of age through tremendous changes in the life of her family. Weyr's understanding of love, loss, and transition as it affects all generations is remarkable, but her touch is light, and Sophie Merdinger is an absolute treat as narrator/heroine. I read this book in one sitting and hated to have it end!" --Reeve Lindbergh Freymann-Weyr creates an indelible portrait of a girl whose strength is verging on becoming her weakness. Sophie's voice is completely authentic and continually compelling, and the picture of her family relationships is compassionate yet sharply insightful.Ultimately, this is an absorbing and eloquent account of a girl learning young how to balance loyalty to the dead with connection to the living. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred "Fast-paced, light, yet introspective, this novel of transition, love, and loss explores emotion while telling a fine story." School Library Journal, Starred "Exceptional." --Kirkus Reviews Kirkus Reviews "Wry, clever, bitter, and totally teenage" " --Booklist Booklist, ALA "This quick-paced, realistic novel with believable and interesting characters is effectively told-------appreciate her attempt to understand life, death, and the effect of time on one's feelings.

" -- VOYA 4Q 3P (10/00) VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates).