Aubrey is alone, but no one can find out. She goes about her day pretending that her mother hasn’t abandoned her without warning. She puts on disguises to go food shopping and doesn’t answer the phone. Eleven years old, she is dealing with issues far beyond her young age.
The best word to describe Love, Aubrey is bittersweet. Aubrey’s father and younger sister died in a car crash and her mother shut down after losing them. Now, she has left Aubrey without warning. When Aubrey’s grandmother shows up and offers to take her back to Vermont to live, Aubrey isn’t sure she wants to go. Starting over is never easy and life hasn’t been good to Aubrey lately. But as she settles slowly into a new life, she gains a best friend and supportive family. However, she still doesn’t know how to deal with her own grief and confusion. Aubrey writes letters to an imaginary friend, keeping her close to her baby sister,Savannah, and helping her deal with her feelings. Supported by her grandmother, new friends and school counselor, Aubrey learns to move on and build a new life. And when her mother comes back into her life, she is able to make the difficult choice presented to her- stay in Vermont or move back home with Mom in Virginia.
Love, Aubrey is a book I couldn’t put down. It easily could have been overdone and miserable; instead, LaFleur has crafted a powerful story about grief and loss. At times funny, heartbreaking, and poignant, Love, Aubrey is a phenomenal story. I found myself racing through the book, stopping only wipe tears from my eyes or to get more tissues. A perfect novel for middle grade readers, this is also a story adults and teens will enjoy. I already have a handful of students who have read the book and all of them commented that they couldn’t put it down. And they loved it as much as I did!
*Review copy courtesy of the publisher
Filed under: cybils, reviews | Tagged: aubrey, cybils 2009, cybils award nominees, grief, loss, love, suzanne lafleur | 4 Comments »
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