The book adheres to the white default one of Delsie's neighbors hails from St. Cape Cod is nicely depicted-not the Cape of tourists but the one of year-round residents-as is the sometimes-sharp contrast between residents and summer people. A richly embroidered cast of characters, a thoughtful exploration of how real friends treat one another, and the true meaning of family all combine to make this a thoroughly satisfying coming-of-age tale. But Delsie, stunned by Brandy’s betrayal, perseveres, realizing that he’s just as lonely as she is and that his mother is gone, having sent him away, just as hers is-heartbreakingly lost to alcohol and drugs. Ronan is new to the Cape, too, and at first he’s a hard boy to get to know. Her best off-Cape friend has returned for the season, but now Brandy, once her soul mate, is wearing makeup and has brought along a mean, snobby friend, Tressa, who’s put off by Delsie’s dirty, bare feet and near-poverty. It’s the summer that Delsie hears that hard lesson from her grandmother and comes to fully understand what it means. Others may toss them around for just the same reason.” Ages 10–up.“The ones that love you protect your feelings because they’ve been given a piece of you. Still, her sweet desire for a family and her unexpected realization that she’s had one all along make this story well worth reading. The book’s coming-of-age lessons about acceptance and friendship, though relevant, can feel didactic Delsie makes some rather sudden revelations about what’s really important in life. Socioeconomic disparity between Delsie and her wealthier friends is handled in a matter-of-fact way-it’s apparent, but the author doesn’t linger on it. In kid-friendly prose, Hunt ( Fish in a Tree) balances Delsie’s unfettered sense of adventure with her tweenlike insecurities. Delsie finds strength and solace in her neighbors’ kindness and a surprising connection with a new kid, Ronan, who is struggling with his own loss. In addition, everything about the island begins to remind her of the mother who abandoned her when she was little. Her friend Brandy has begun wearing makeup and made a new friend who doesn’t hide her disdain for Delsie.
This summer, though, the storm that’s brewing has nothing to do with the weather. Endearingly blunt, stubborn Delsie lives year-round on Cape Cod, where she watches game shows with her Grammy and eagerly consults her weather station.
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