by Kevin Henkes
Flap Copy description:
Martha Boyle and Olive Barstow could have been friends, but they weren't. Weeks after a tragic accident, all that is left are eerie connections between the two girls, former classmates who both kept the same secret without knowing it. Now, even while on vacation at the ocean, Martha can't stop thinking about Olive. Things only get more complicated when Martha begins to like Jimmy Manning, a neighbor boy she used to despise. What is going on? Can life for Martha be the same ever again?
My thoughts:
The author, Kevin Henkes, is best known for his award winning picture books; however, in this MG novel he doesn't disappoint. His character development and voice are superb - the plot, however, is amazing! Seen through the eyes of twelve-year-old Martha, she must deal with the death of a classmate, Olive; which haunts her on the family vacation on the New England coast. The emotional turmoil that Olive's passing brought about, and Martha's own near drowning, give her a new, more mature, outlook on life - and her place in it. This book won a Newbery Honor Award in 2004. Olive's Ocean would make a great summer read for the middle grade student.
