I enjoyed reading Delilah's story. Her frustration flew off the page at me and I wanted to take her mom aside and yell at her for being so blind to it all. For not understanding the deeper issue, the reason for all the changes in Delilah's behavior and life. And when Delilah's Grandmother passes away, her mom sees it as an opportunity.Delilah is whisked away to work on settling the estate after her grandmother passes away. A grandmother she hasn't seen in 8 years and has no clue why. She knows there was a fight but doesn't have a clue what it was about nor why it caused such a huge rift between her family.
I did feel, however, that some of it was too easy. if that makes any sense. She reunites with her childhood summer friend almost immediately, and just as immediately they have a palpable romantic connection. There wasn't much in the way of "hey I haven't seen you eight years" awkwardness, and there is so much that would have changed from the time she was 8 years old to now (16). It just sort of seemed thrown out there to me.
And her mom. Oh, her lovely mother, who is a work-a-holic and doesn't seem to understand that her daughter misses the carefree there-for-her-all-the-time mom she used to be. After the problems Delilah has had at home, Claire (her mom), all the sudden seems to want a clean slate, without really even talking about the issues, even the on-the-surface issues? That seemed strange to me, but maybe it fits with her work-work-nothing-but-work attitude. (Apparently I'm into dashes today. :) )
Aside from those two issues for me, the story was very well told. Despite some things feeling rushed, it all felt real. The easiness of some things didn't slow the flow for me. The end result, the connections made, rang true for me. I loved some of the twists and turns and the discoveries that Delilah makes about her family and past as the story unfolds. Not only was I reading about her anger but I could feel it, as if she were slamming in me in the face with it. I love that!
The self-discoveries Delilah makes on her journey aren't new, or fresh, to stories. They're not groundbreaking. But they are real. They are things that most, if not all, people learn at some point. The true meaning of friendship, the bond of family, the power of forgiveness, the importance of letting go.