Review: Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Publication Date: 12-1-2010

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

Challenge: N/A

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Goodreads Summary:

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.

Delilah Hannaford seems like the typical lost teenager who is trying to figure out who she is and where she wants to be.  She has troubles in the relationships around her.  She is working on solving the troubles in her family, her love life, and herself.  She doesn’t understand the mystery surrounding the secrets her mother is hiding, but she wants to know more.  She wants to know where she came from and put her family back together.

Delilah is a character you can’t help but fall in love with.  She is very easy to relate to and she grew a lot throughout the novel.  She felt lost and everything in her life seemed to be falling apart, but through it all she learned more and grew and learned more about herself along the way.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Sarah Ockler, but it was enjoyable.  Each of the characters had their purpose and helped the novel progress.  Patrick was an amazing young man who I would love to be around.  Delilah has a lot to be thankful for in this summer, but she has a lot of questions to answer as well.  She screws up a bit and makes some mistakes, but she also “fixes” things and puts her life (and her family) back together.  Delilah realizes that she can find friends in the oddest places and family is irreplaceable.  No matter how tough family life can be, there is no one like your family to help you through a rough patch and they will always be there for you.  Sometimes, you just have to work at it.

Fixing Delilah was a great book to get me through this winter.  It reminded me of summer and the warm weather to come! It also has a special place in my life because of the family situation I was going through when I read it.  It really did make me realize how important family is and how a little argument or disagreement isn’t worth it.