Life On Hold

Life On Hold
Karen McQuestion
April 2011
Age Level: YA

Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Rae Maddox’s mom, Gina, is a big fan of fresh starts. Gina thinks of them as an adventure, but for Rae, each move is just one more friend lost, one more chance to feel like an outsider. But when they arrive in Wisconsin, Gina promises to stay put until Rae graduates. Cautiously optimistic, she wades into the social whirl at Whitman High School, making a few friends and even earning a chance at love. But when the vice principal pairs her with fellow newbie Allison Daly, Rae’s tentative happiness is jeopardized. It seems Allison was orphaned after her parents died in a suspicious house fire, leaving their daughter to bounce between relatives’ homes. When a sleepover at Rae’s house goes terribly wrong, Rae sees a troubling side of Allison—and learns a few secrets about her own mother in the process. Suddenly Rae is at risk of losing everything and everyone she cares about—unless she steps up and takes charge of her life once and for all.

Review:

After reading Favorite by McQuestion, I was somewhat less excited to read Life On Hold. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Life On Hold is a book that will appeal to many young readers. It's a book about a girl who wants nothing more than to be just a normal teenager. She wants to make friends and have a boyfriend and not move around just because her mother had a whim. In that way, Rae is a sympathetic character. I rooted for her throughout the whole book, waiting for her to find her voice to tell her mother how she felt.

Life On Hold was a really quick and fun read. The romance was cute, and the side story of Allison's life was fascinating- she was someone that I really wanted to know. I would say that Karen McQuestion definitely has a talent for writing a good story that keeps a reader entertained. However, the one downside is that this book isn't horribly memorable. There are bits and pieces that stick in my mind, but overall it was a good book to lose myself in for awhile, and then set it down and move on. I know some people might enjoy a book like that, but personally I'm looking for something a little bit deeper.

That's not to say that I didn't like this book. I really did enjoy it, and if you're even slightly interested in Karen McQuestion's books, I'd recommend them because they are unique and quick, and sometimes that's just perfect.

Jane