Look Closer

November 15, 2018
A swimming prodigy sees vague premonitions of death as she mourns her father.After her father's death, Tegan struggles: She lacks motivation to apply to college or swim, a sport at which she excels. Her best friend has moved and she feels isolated at home, where her mother's new marriage disgusts her. She sees those around her as objects, especially the local homeless population, whom she calls "randoms." Tegan finds names on a cereal box and her windowsill that lead her to witness a suicide, and soon other names of people about to die appear to her. Tegan's attempts to save them lead her to renewed connections with her mother and swim coach, romance with a Manic Pixie Dream Boy, and some facile closure about her father. Tegan's absent best friend, implied black and the sole significant character of color, is portrayed as stereotypically sassy; Tegan cozies up to a popular white girl with a racist history. Descriptions of diverse background characters reinforce the white default and too often fall into tropes. A sexualized joke by Tegan's male coach and her wearing of her father's underwear feel off. The people Tegan saves remain two-dimensional vehicles for her own pity and navel-gazing. A potentially thrilling final twist pulls its punch in favor of a milquetoast metaphor, and Tegan concludes her story with a series of shallow truisms about embracing life.Despite the title's plea, there's not much worth close examination here. (Magical realism. 13-16)

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December 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 It's been more than a year since Tegan's father was killed in action, but she's still wrecked by the loss. Tegan has lost her passion for competitive swimming and now drifts alone through the heat of a Washington, D.C., summer. This changes when she notices letters underlined on the back of her cereal box, spelling out the name "Brady Hart." Later, Tegan hears on the news that a man with this name died that day. In rapid succession, names begin appearing?in the steam on bath tiles, on sandwich wrappers, and other unlikely places?and Tegan, soon joined by a cute boy named Edge, begins trying to track down the people before they die. It's not terribly credible, but some readers will enjoy the puzzle of the mysterious names and the people that Tegan meets along the way. Tegan is changed by her experiences, finding a path back to a meaningful life that includes romance, friendship, and a renewed interest in the sport she loves. The book is mechanical on most levels but does convincingly explore the grieving process.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

December 21, 2018

Gr 9 Up-This novel opens on the 402nd day since Tegan's father died in a helicopter crash while serving in Syria. Tegan lives in Washington, D.C. and it's the hot summer between her junior and senior years. Since her father's death, her mother has married Larry, a sleaze, but there's no moving on for Tegan. She quit the swimming team where her coach had Olympic aspirations for her, is having trouble crafting college essays, and her biggest interaction with others is sitting in DuPont Circle watching homeless people. One humid morning, Tegan sees underlined letters on a pyramid game on the back of her Cheerios box. The letters spell out a name, which she soon discovers belongs to a boy killed in an accident. More names appear to her in a variety of semi-hidden ways; each one bringing her new adventures, and some tragedies, but always new understandings of who she is. In this work of contemporary fiction with a satisfying blend of romance and the paranormal, Lewis has created a galaxy of complex and intriguing characters. The tension and humor between older teens and adults is artfully wrought. Tegan's memories of her father are poignant and joyful, and when Tegan is swimming, the writing is positively poetic. VERDICT This hopeful tale is a strong choice for most YA shelves.-Janet Gross, Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA