Funky, but interesting. Good characters, but the main character has a frustrating single focus that makes the storyline drag a bit. Good deal of death by accident. ( )

Who doesn’t get sucked in with an opener like this?

“I was ten when Gaysie Cutter tried to kill me. It was just like her too—always leaving a bad first impression.”

When I read this line, I knew the protagonist would be great if the author could hold on to her personality. It’s a Kate DiCamillo kind of opener. While Makechnie did not top DiCamillo, it’s not bad for a first book. It’s an odd one with quirky characters, but that’s what makes it so entertaining.

Guinevere’s mother suffered brain damage when Gwen was 4-years-old and since then can’t remember anything that happened after age 13. Now Gwen is 11 and her mother is functional, but doesn’t understand she has two daughters. Her father has moved back to their hometown in Iowa hoping the familiarity will restore her memory. Guinevere calls her mom by her first name, Vienna, because there is no mother-daughter relationship. This bothers Gwen, but she bears her burden with strong shoulders.

In this small Iowa town, Gwen becomes friends with two boys, Micah and Jimmy. Micah is the son of the eccentric, quirkiest of all characters, Gaysie. Gaysie is also the childhood friend of her parents. Gwen takes an immediate disliking to Gaysie and when her field hand, old man Wilbur, goes missing, she’s sure Gaysie had something to do with it. Gwen wants to be a lawyer so she takes advantage of Wilbur’s disappearance to practice her investigative skills.

There’s a lot going on in this book. There’s also the homebody Mrs. Myrtle, the childhood sledding accident, and the bully Travis Maynard. The author weaves it all together well enough, but some editing could have yielded a tighter story. For example, I would have eliminated the bullies or her younger sister, Bitty, in favor of more on Mrs. Myrtle or Wilbur. Those are characters that bring originality. Bullies are overdone in middle grade books and Bitty offered nothing to the story.

I’m going to say this again. It’s quirky. At times I felt like I was in a Twilight Zone episode. Gaysie cuts off her finger with little reaction and Micah rings a goose’s neck. Twilight Zone. The setting is in the present because computers are mentioned, but there are times when I could swear it feels 70s. Then there’s the double mystery of the sledding accident and Wilbur’s disappearance which don’t get resolved until the very end. Twilight Zone. But just like the Twilight Zone, I loved it. ( )

This read is packed to the gills with emotion, warmth, mystery, hope and heart.

Gwyn moves with her parents from New York back to her mother's childhood town—a very small town—with the hope that the environment will help her mother's memory return.While there, Gwyn befriends the neighborhood boys and soon finds herself investigating a man's disappearance. In the process, Gwyn uncovers so much more than she ever expected to.

This was not the book I expected, and the surprise was a treat. Gwyn is a loving girl with spunk, who is trying to handle the situation with her mother's memory loss. Considering her mother acts and thinks like a little child, Gwyn's reactions and hesitations are understandable. The culture shock of moving from New York to the little town adds to her difficulties, and is also very well done and believable. Gwyn has a lot on her plate and she has a personality to go with it, which makes her easy to sympathize with and cheer for.

The other characters are colorful and, especially Gaysie, have a personality all of their own. And it's this which makes the read unexpected and quirky and sometimes, simply, odd.

There is a lot going on in these pages. Not only is Gwyn trying to come to terms with her mother's condition, but the mysteries in the town hit many levels. There are many layers not only to the plot but to the feelings, making this a read even adults will enjoy. That said, the complexity also slows the read down and keeps the pacing at bay.

Still, this is an engaging read with characters who are hard to forget after the last page is done.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it enough...especially the characters...and wanted to leave my honest thoughts. ( )