Review Detail

Adam loves to spend the summers at his grandmother's cottage in the Minnesota woods, especially now that his life in suburban Chicago is different now that his parents are divorced. Things are different at the cottage, too-- his father won't be coming, nor will his obnoxious cousins, and there is a new girl his age with whom he is expected to socialize. Adam would rather sit on the dock and read old books from the cottage, but Alice turns out to be decent, and he starts to step outside his comfort zone a little bit, canoeing on his own and being more adventurous. His grandmother's mental state seems precarious, and she keeps leaving him notes addressed to "G" that are somewhat romantic in nature. When he and Alice find out that "G" left a treasure hidden somewhere in the woods, they try to find it in the hopes that it will somehow help.

The more I think about this one, the more I like it. It's a good book for both genders, and while it is fairly slow paced, has enough romance and intrigue in it to keep a student turning the pages. The twist at the end with the identity of "G" and the treasure is really quite brilliant, even if it's sad. This would be especially good for boys who like to read romances, or who can read more introspective books.