A Sweet Story

When I was 13 I felt like the ugliest, freakiest, nerdiest person on the planet. Doesn't everyone? Unfortunately, most of the books that were being written for my age group at that time were silly rubbish about proms and boyfriends.That was the last thing I wanted to read, so I stuck to fantasies and fairy tales - until I discovered this book!

"The Summer of the Swans" is a lovely story about 14-year-old Sarah Godfrey, who is going through an awkward stage. I instantly connected with Sarah, who doesn't understand what is happening to her friends, her older sister, or herself. Sarah seems to find solace only when watching the swans that have come to spend the summer on a nearby lake. Then Charlie, Sarah's mentally handicapped brother, disappears, and in searching for him Sarah at last begins to find herself.

This is a great book for young teenage girls. Sarah's relationship with her brother is tender and real, with Sarah alternating between fierce and loving protectiveness and exasperation. The book's ending is moderately upbeat but not overly so - in other words, true to life. I recommend "The Summer of the Swans" as well as Betsy Byars' other books, all of which I have found to be entertaining. Check this one out!