The Clearing. Heather Davis. 2010. April 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 212 pages.
Each night I wished for things to be different.
Our heroine, Amy, wishes every night for things to be different. Life hasn't been kind to her recently, she's just broken up with an abusive boyfriend, Matt, and the episode has left her shaken. Was it ever love? Was it ever right? Where did it all start going wrong? Was any of it her fault? Why does her best friend (supposed best friend that is) not believe her--that the abuse happened? How could her best friend betray her with her boyfriend? How is any of this okay? So for Amy moving to her great aunt Mae's house is a blessing.
Our hero, Henry, wishes every night for things to be the same. And his wish is what makes this teen romance a fantasy. Because his wish has been granted. Henry has been living the same summer for over sixty years. Henry's wish surrounds his family's farm with a heavy mist or fog. In Henry's dream world, it will always be June 1944. But life isn't quite perfect even in this dream world. Because Henry knows the truth. He knows that it is only his wishing that keeps his world from shattering.
When Amy enters Henry's world, things may never be the same. Can Henry help heal Amy's broken heart and spirit? Can Amy help heal Henry? Can she help him realize that life is best lived--for better or worse--as it is. That no dream world should last forever?
I liked The Clearing. I especially liked reading Henry's chapters. It's not that I disliked Amy as a heroine, I liked her just fine. It's just that I liked the fantasy elements of this one so much more than the realistic ones. Amy's new high school, her new acquaintances, well, they didn't capture my attention like Henry and his family--his mother and grandfather.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
2 comments:
Interesting premise (and it seems like I don't say that too often lately). This one looks like something I'd really be interested in trying.
I might actually read this!
Post a Comment