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Review by Linda Harmon
Ten-year-old Jess and her family have
just moved into their new house. It is a nice house and should be a
nice place to live, but something is wrong there. She knows that
things are wrong with her family. That was the reason for the move.
Her mother lies in her bed in nearly a comatose state as a result of
a recent nervous breakdown, the cause of which is not revealed until
the end of the book. Her older sister, Vida, is angry all the time
and extremely interested in the occult. Her brother, Clem, doesn't
interact with the family at all and has secret meetings with a girl
named Amy, who bears a striking resemblance to a girlhood friend of
his mother. Jess' father's job is a considerable distance away, so
he takes the train every day to work. If it weren't for Mrs. Mack, a
part-time cook and housekeeper, Jess would be alone most of the day.
Her family is falling apart and she doesn't know what to do about
it, except worry.
Jess worries constantly about Vida's
state of mind and sometimes is afraid of her. Vida saw a poster in a
shop recently that advertised a séance with Miss Evie Swann of 34
Willow St. Vida has hopes of the séance solving their family's
problems, but Jess doesn't know why she thinks this or whom she is
hoping to contact. During the séance Miss Evie has what appears to
be a contact with a young girl. Vida decides it is all a sham and
leaves very abruptly. It is on their way home that Jess first sees
the blur of blue ribbon and gets a chilled feeling, like someone or
something is watching them.
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this review]
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 Clem continues to meet with Amy. He
wants to introduce her to his sisters, but she says she can't meet
them. He often wonders why no one else in the family ever sees her
in the garden with him. He tells his mother about Amy and how she
resembles her friend from childhood. Clem is the only person his
mother has spoken to, and that was just to say his name. He was so
excited when this happened, but he couldn't find anyone to tell. He
is so disconnected from the family and the move that he hasn't even
unpacked his room. He is also wearing the same clothes day after day
and no one seems to notice. He often feels he is not going to be
around much longer.
The plot continues with the author
offering only small bits of information at a time. The suspense
builds and keeps the reader guessing to the end. What caused the
mother's breakdown? Why does Vida keep insisting that something is
all her fault, and why does she think the occult will help her? Who
is the ghost girl with the blue ribbon and why is Jess the only one
who sees her? Why is Clem so distant from the rest of the family?
Who in the world is Amy?
"Starry
Nights" is a novel about grief and mystery and a family who is
trying to deal with it. This book is recommended for ages 10 and up.
For more information about this and other books, please visit the
library at 725 Pekin St. or call (217) 732-5732.
[Linda Harmon,
Lincoln
Public Library District] |
