Mary Downing Hahn's first novel for young adults is the poignant, absorbing story of an unusual affinity between two teenagers that blossoms into deep romantic love. The closeness shared between Lauren and Spencer means everything to Lauren. But can the power of her love help Spencer overcome a legacy of family problems that threaten his sanity, even his life?
Lauren and Spencer share a love of poetry, and both have problems with their parents. But when Lauren realizes that she is falling in love with Spencer, she also begins to recognize his moody and self-destructive side.Mary Downing Hahn, a former children’s librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Deep and Dark and Dangerous and The Old Willis Place. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her two cats, Oscar and Rufus.
Gr 9-12-- High school seniors Lauren and Spencer cling to one other in an insensitive world peopled by affluent, snobbish classmates and preoccupied adults. They had been middle school misfits, bonded by braces and a love of fantasy and science fiction. But time, different lifestyles, and peer pressure interferred. He became the ``Prince of Jocks,'' while she remained an introverted loner. When he suddenly rekindles their friendship, Lauren is wary until she realizes that Spencer is deeply troubled and values the honesty and camaraderie they once shared. As their romance intensifies, he confides that he is haunted by his father's suicide and disturbed by his pretentious lifestyle and uncommunicative mother. Drunk and depressed on graduation night, he is nearly killed in a motorcycle accident. His physical, psychological, and emotional healing begins with devoted Lauren by his side. The couple confronts modern perils of youth--sex, alcohol, and suicide--with little adult intervention. Lauren's divorced mother is sympathetic but distracted by her own romantic involvement. Spencer's mother and stepfather are more concerned with social appearances than reality. Mr. Walker, their English teacher, dismisses the young man's poetic perception of death as plagiarism. Stereotype characters abound; and, the nearly tragic climax is a long time coming. Nonetheless, YA readers will identify with the pressures, conflicts, and concerns facing these teens. And, poetry fans will enjoy excerpts from Keats and Whitman. --Gerry Larson, Chewning Junior High School, Durham, NC Copyright 1993 Cahners Business Information.
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