Brief Summary:
Scarlett Blaine’s life in 1960s Georgia isn’t always easy, especially given her parents’ financial struggles and the fights surrounding her sister Juli’s hippie lifestyle. Then there’s her brother, Cliff. While Scarlett loves him more than anything, there’s no denying his unique behavior leaves Cliff misunderstood and left out. So when he wishes for a rocket to Jupiter, Scarlett agrees to make it happen, no matter how crazy the idea might be. Raising the rocket money means baking pies, and the farmer’s son, Frank, agrees to provide the peaches if Scarlett will help him talk to Juli. The problem is, Scarlett really enjoys her time with Frank, and finds herself wondering if, someday, they could be more than friends. Just as she thinks everything might be going her way, Cliff suffers an accident that not only affects the rocket plans, but shakes Scarlett’s view of God. As the summer comes to an end, Scarlett must find a way to regain what she’s lost, but also fulfill a promise to launch her brother’s dream.
Positive Content:
First off, I loved this book. Rachel Coker is an incredibly talented author, especially for a teen! The characters were excellently crafted. I wasn't sure at the very beginning, but within the first three chapters, I feel in love with Scarlett's Cliff. He was so sweet, so innocent. It was obvious that he wasn't just a normal child, but in the same way, he wasn't too abnormal to be unrelatable. It was easy to fall in love with his character, and he definitely made the book so great.
Scarlett truly loves her brother, perhaps more than anyone else. She is always looking out for him and continually puts him in front of her friends. This kind of familial love was so sweet and made this book so tender and excellent.
Possible Objectionable Content:
This book didn't really have any content issues. Juli makes several mistakes, including running away from her family, but no approval is shed on her choices. Also, Scarlett struggles with her faith after her brother's accident and blames God for what happened.
Conclusion:
I have to hand it to Coker for creating the dark moment at the end. It was definitely a shock, but it stirred some real emotion. It was a wonderful story. A sad story, but a wonderful one.
Rating: 8/10
Recommended Age: 13+
Genre: Historical/Romance/Christian
Part of a series?: no
No comments:
Post a Comment