Hilary McKay fans will glom onto this insightful, often funny novel about Blue (short for "Bluebell") who is trying to soldier on after the death of her twin. ("Since Iris died, at school I am the shadow," Blue thinks.) That was three years ago. Everyone else in the Gadsby family seems to have moved past the loss of Iris, but Blue still feels as though Iris is near.
The 13-year-old combines "conventional diary entries" with transcripts of short films, which read as screenplays. Blue enjoys filming people, especially her family, and her observations reveal an artist's eye at work. Farrant gets Blue's voice just right, which makes this tale of the Gadsbys ideal for reading aloud. Her parents often travel for business, so one of her father's students comes to look after them (this follows immediately after 16-year-old Flora's negligence leads to one of her youngest siblings landing in the hospital). Zoran is a fine cook and an even better friend to the Gadsby children, and their Grandma makes a wonderful confidante, too.
Blue ultimately discovers that she's not a shadow, nor does she have to pretend that everything will be fine. This poignant novel will be a salve to young people who've lost a loved one, and for everyone else, they'll discover a family they wished lived next door. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness