This story is recommended for aspiring writers, and for those confused about the complexities of family and intimate love.' 'Waldorf tells Char's story in a straightforward manner, navigating family harmony and conflict to a surprise conclusion. 'Waldorf is an interesting new author who clearly does not shy away from thorny situations.' It is a compelling book that is peopled with characters who are utterly true-to-life they are people I'd like to know, people whose stories I genuinely cared about. The characters are truly winsome, well-realized and believably flawed the small-town flavour of the community is beautifully evoked and the issues that are raised are handled sensitively but without melodrama. ' Waldorf manages to incorporate numerous issues in this book, and yet she does so in a way that allows the book to shine as a thoughtful, engaging read rather than feeling leaden with the weight of too much teen angst. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title.

It's all rich grist for a keen-eyed young writer's mill, as Charlie learns that the best material comes not from exciting travels and circumstances, but from journeys to new places inside herself. And then there's the mystery of the Chocolate Moose Man, an almost mythical figure who turned up at her mother's funeral thirteen years before.

As revelation upon revelation builds, she discovers the unthinkable: Kerry is her half-brother and the man she's always taken to be her father isn't after all. Then she falls for Kerry, a handsome local hunk, and wants to tell him how she feels. For one thing, she agrees to compete in the gruelling Four Islands Race. Instead, she steps into a series of unexpected adventures that will alter her view of what seemed a dull and tedious existence. She decides to spend the summer with her grandmother on remote Lake Ringrose in northern Ontario, where she thinks she can laze on a hammock all summer and get in touch with her mother's roots. That she doesn't want to spend her summer with her father's girlfriend and her triplets, That her blow-up at her tactless creative writing teacher must have contributed to his heart attack, Sixteen-year-old Charlie, an ambitious and dedicated writer who thinks her small-town life doesn't offer any material for her work, is sure of three things:

Not her father, the boy she likes, or even the mysterious man from her mother's funeral. No one is who they seem to be in Charlie's world. Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2007

Grist by Heather Waldorf