Where the Water Takes Us by Alan Barillaro

What worked:

The book’s synopsis pretty much sums up the entire book. The focus is on Ava’s conflicted feelings about her mother’s pregnancy and the different ways they affect her character. She’s sad and angry when she’s forced to spend time at her grandparents’ house on a lake instead of staying home at her mother’s side. Ava’s moods waver between disappointment for being stuck there and her love for Nonna and Nonno. Her thoughts about the unborn, twin brothers are mixed since her mother’s serious health problems are caused by the pregnancy. Then, Ava’s imagination takes over as she thinks she’s cursed and must atone for a woodpecker’s death during a storm.

A boy named Cody offers a contrast to Ava’s character as he’s excited about everything related to the lake. His outgoing, positive personality really irks her since she’s trying to be upset with being separated from her mother. Ava finds him annoying and weird and she’s further bothered that he doesn’t consider the pain she’s experiencing. However, readers may realize that Ava’s not very understanding herself as she doesn’t know anything about Cody’s life either. His upbeat demeanor may not sit well with Ava but it also provides some optimism missing in her life.

Life around the lake is much different from the lives of most young readers. They’ve probably never heard of party lines which is the connection Ava must use to call home. Nanno has a canoe for Ava to use that allows her to explore Deer Island and other parts of the lake. She’s surprised to hear Nanno say deer, bears, raccoons, and other animals can swim anywhere and there’s nothing stopping them from visiting his home. Adventurous readers may relate to fishing on a lake, digging through dirt with their bare hands to find huge earthworms, and discovering bird eggs in the wild. How many people have collected fresh water from a natural spring? While it’s not a fantasy world, living among nature’s wonders provides an equally magical setting for a story.

What didn’t work as well:

The drama and conflict are mostly in Ava’s mind which may not appeal to everyone. Her concerns are realistic and relatable although the suspense doesn’t reach the high levels found in other books. Of course, that’s not true for the climax when Ava and Cody find themselves in a life-threatening situation.

The Final Verdict:

The plot shares Ava’s internal struggles with adapting to her growing family. Cody offers a playful contrast to balance Ava’s character. Overall, this is an entertaining story and I recommend you give it a shot.