The Situation: Kaylani McKinnon is not exactly excited about spending the summer at Martha's Vineyard, away from her home in Brooklyn. It means staying with a strange family she has not seen in years, in a house she does not know, and even further away from her dad, who is in prison on embezzlement charges. Every night, Kaylani waits for him to call, always feeling like the minutes run out too quickly, and there is too much time before the next day, when she will get to speak to him again. Despite her misgivings, Kaylani ends up at Martha's Vineyard with the Watson's, and their annoying granddaughter, London.
The Problem: It is clear that London is even less excited than Kaylani about her staying with her family. London's older sister Cassie is not too thrilled either, but she is more distracted by a few of the boys her age on the island. Kaylani does her best to get comfortable, even managing to make some friends, until tragedy strikes the island and a young boy ends up dead. With a few recent shark sightings in the waters surrounding the island, people are not sure if the boy's death is the result of a rare shark attack, or something more sinister. Kaylani is eager to solve the case, but the more she finds, the more secrets are revealed not only about the island, but the people she is staying with.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a middle grade novel set mostly in and around Martha's Vineyard. Kaylani is on the island as a guest of the Watson's, a wealthy family that spends their summers on the island, which means Kaylani is there along with the Watson's granddaughters, Cassie and London. For the majority of the story, the main antagonist is London, whose only interests include clothes, makeup, and being able to be seen with her older sister Cassie, who is less than interested in being around the two younger girls. During her time on the island, Kaylani will learn about the history of Martha's Vineyard, as well as the nature of shark attacks, all while trying to solve the possible murder of a local boy.
My Verdict: When I first realized that this book was going to be geared more towards middle grade readers, I wondered how Jackson was going to tailor her writing for a younger audience. As with several of Jackson's previous books, this one includes a murder mystery, but is not quite as heavy as far as the subject matter, which works well for younger readers. There is still a mystery to solve, very real danger to be avoided, and plenty of suspicious characters that may or not be on the protagonist's side. Almost any reader of any age can recall the feeling of having to spend a summer somewhere other than where they want to be, which is where Kaylani's story starts, and then it devolves from there. This is a smart, quick, and enjoyable read.
Favorite Moment: London is spoiled, stuck-up and annoying, and everyone knows it. It was satisfying to see some of the characters pointedly seek out Kaylani's presence instead, despite her being an outsider, and most everyone knowing her father is in prison.
Favorite Character: Kaylani is smart, and stubborn when she needs to be. Her father also taught her to be observant and to know her surroundings, something that comes in handy more than once.
Recommended Reading: My favorite of Jackson's books remains to be Monday's Not Coming.
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