See You at Harry's

June 11, 2012
Twelve-year-old Fern's family members are so consumed with their own lives that Fern often feels overlooked. She has a lot on her plate, dealing with her annoying three-year-old brother, Charlie, and tart-tongued sister, Sara, as well as being publically embarrassed by her father's overzealous marketing for their family restaurant, Harry's. Additionally, Fern's mother often disappears to meditate, while older brother Holdenâwho is being bullied at school and is struggling over whether to come out as gayâpushes Fern away. Things become nearly unbearable when Fern blames herself for a tragic accident that rocks the family to its core. Luckily, Fern's closest friend, the perpetually serene Ran, and, indeed, her family help her find a glimmer of hope amid powerful grief. Through the eyes of Fern, Knowles (Lessons from a Dead Girl) introduces a cast of distinct, fully developed characters who exhibit authentic emotions, foibles, and expressions of love. Readers will feel deeply for the family in the aftermath of the plot's heart-wrenching turn, which pulls them closer together. Ages 12âup. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

May 1, 2012

Gr 6-9-Fern often feels invisible in her bustling family. Because of the restaurant her parents run, her teenage sister's angst, her gay older brother's struggle with bullies, and the incessant cuteness of her little brother, Charlie, there isn't a lot of attention left for a quiet, literary sixth grader. She isn't invisible at school, but that's just because everyone has seen the supremely embarrassing, cheesy commercial her father forced the entire family to star in. Fern finds some solace in her friendship with Ran, who repeatedly assures her that "all will be well," but this mantra proves untrue when Charlie is struck by a car while in Fern's care. Though initially appearing unharmed, his internal injuries prove fatal, and Fern must come to terms with her loss and feelings of guilt while struggling to find her place in her family and in the wider world. Knowles paints a moving and authentic picture of a family grieving, but readers may be put off by the repetitiveness of the plot elements that at times bog down the pacing. However, the book might appeal to precocious readers who will enjoy Knowles's allusions to literary characters and use of rich vocabulary. Additionally, See You at Harry's will fill a niche for those seeking works with a gay character in which his sexuality is not the main focus of the book.-Gesse Stark-Smith, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2012
Sit back in a comfortable chair, bring on the Kleenex and cry your heart out. Seventh grader Fern, in pitch-perfect present tense, relates the dual tragedies of her family. Her high-school-freshman older brother Holden has come to the place in his life where he's acknowledged that he's gay and is taking the first painful, unsteady steps out into a less-than-fully-accepting world. Fern offers him support and love, but what she can give is not always what he needs. Their older sister, Sara, spending a frustrating gap year after high school supposedly helping with the family restaurant, makes life hard for everyone with her critical eye and often unkind comments. And then there's 3-year-old Charlie, always messy, often annoying, but deeply loved. Fern's busy, distracted parents leave all of the kids wanting for more attention--until a tragic accident tears the family apart. The pain they experience after the calamity is vividly, agonizingly portrayed and never maudlin. Eventually there are tiny hints of brightness to relieve the gloom: the wisdom of Fern's friend Ran, the ways that Sara, Fern and Holden find to support each other and their thoughtfully depicted, ever-so-gradual healing as they rediscover the strength of family. Prescient writing, fully developed characters and completely, tragically believable situations elevate this sad, gripping tale to a must-read level. (Fiction. 11 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2012
Grades 6-9 To 12-year-old Fern, her family has become little more than a random group of people who occasionally eat dinner together. Her dad is obsessed with the family restaurant, Harry's; her mom is constantly meditating; her older siblings have their own busy lives; and three-year-old Charlie is the center of everyone's world. And then . . . tragedy. In a flash the book changes course, and readers will be reaching for their hankies. The family implodes, and it takes many heart-wrenching pages before they are able to find their way back to one another. Readers may begin this book thinking that Fern's annoying family will be the backdrop for her adventures with boys and friends, but it is just the reverse. As in John Corey Whaley's award-winning Where Things Come Back (2011), the powerful bonds of family, so casually acknowledged in the everyday, can be crippling when broken. This is highly recommended for readers dealing with their own grief issues, but any teen can benefit from the reminder that family can be simultaneously humiliating and invaluable.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
Twelve-year-old Fern's family is frustrating. Then her three-year-old brother Charlie dies after a freak accident and readers feel the family's grief, and Charlie's absence, acutely. A possible romance with her best friend Random is a sign that all can be...if not well, then maybe okay. This is a powerful portrait of a flawed but loving family that experiences the unthinkable--and survives.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2012
Twelve-year-old Fern wonders "if all families are as frustrating to live with as mine." Her father, the owner of Harry's Family Restaurant, is filming an embarrassing commercial starring Fern and her siblings, and her mother has no time for her. Her gay brother is being bullied; her older sister is "lonely and grumpy and not fun to be around." And her three-year-old brother, Charlie, is a sticky, attention-seeking pain. When things get bad, Fern counts on her best friend, Random, to remind her that "all will be well." But halfway through the novel Charlie dies after a freak accident, and Fern knows that "nothing will ever be right again." Readers feel the family's grief, and Charlie's absence, acutely: Fern repeatedly replays Charlie's outgoing message on their answering machine, and reads a favorite book aloud to his empty room. And then there's the painful immediacy of Charlie's funeral: "I don't know if I can keep myself from screaming, I hurt so much." Despite her grief, however, Fern agrees to attend the homecoming dance and actually enjoys herself (partially because of the possibility of romance with Random). It's a sign that all can be...if not well, then maybe okay. This is a powerful, spare portrait of a flawed but loving family that experiences the unthinkable -- and survives. rachel l. smith

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)