Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Title: Fixing Delilah

Author: Sarah Ockler

Pages:320

Genre: Teen/YA

Source: Good Golly Miss Holly ARC Tours

Delilah Hannaford is a good girl.  But something is wrong with her.  As of late she's been getting into all sorts of trouble. She was recently caught (accidentally) stealing lipstick, her grades have dropped and she's no longer part of the school blog, she's been sneaking around with her "not-boyfriend" Finn, and she's been lying to her mother.  When they receive the news that Delilah's grandmother has passed away, her mother feels that a summer away from home might be what Delilah needs to get back on the right track.

So off they go, to a town that they haven't returned to in over eight years.  Hannah knows something big happened the day she and her mother stalked off eight years ago - they've never returned to the home she lived in for the first eight years of her life and her mother and grandmother never talked to each other again.  Over the summer, she'll make new friendships, rekindle some old one's, spark an unexpected romance, and try to piece together the grand mystery of her family's painful past. 

As a big fan of Ms. Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer, I was anxiously awaiting Fixing Delilah (FYI - my ARC was titled Fixing Delilah Hannaford). I found Twenty Boy Summer to be absolutely perfect and I was a bit worried to see how Ms. Ockler was going to pull that off again.  Well, I'm happy to say that I need not have worried.  Fixing Delilah is just as good, in its own way, of course.

I was very sympathetic to Delilah.  Although I can't truly say I relate to her, I still felt for her as a character.  She has this self-destructive attitude that constantly had her going from one angst-filled situation to the next.  Her relationship with her mother, the budding romance with childhood friend, Patrick, and even her new friendship with Emily were all very realistically portrayed. 

My favorite aspects of the novel were the mystery and secrets surrounding her family.  The fight that caused she and her mother to leave their home/town, the untimely death of one of her aunt's, why her grandmother and mother never talked again, even the stressed relationship between her mother and the living aunt.  I kept guessing as to what happened and every time I thought I had it, there was another twist in the story.  This alone, kept the pages turning for me.

In summary, I really liked it!  I think Ms. Ockler has written a well-rounded story where she perfectly captures the conflict that can arise within a family when there is dishonesty and secrets kept.  It has the perfect blend of romance, mystery and enough family drama to keep you engrossed emotionally. 

My Rating:

You can find Fixing Delilah on the following sites:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Good Reads