Stillwater by Mary Jo Hazard

☆☆☆☆1/2
ebook, 196 pages
Expected publication: July 7th 2020 by Mascot Books
About the Book:
Under the surface, danger lurks...
Twelve-year-old Grace believes that all adults are trustworthy and good. So begins a coming-of-age story full of laughter and tears that takes place one hot summer in upstate New York in the 1950s. On the surface, Stillwater seems an idyllic place, but danger lurks underneath. Grace and her best friends, Maggie and Louanne, grapple with divorce, domestic violence, and mental illness. Grace is devastated when she finds out her father committed suicide when she was eight. Several suspicious fires break out in the area, and Louanne's schizophrenic uncle Tony, the town bogeyman, is accused of setting them. Grace believes he's unfairly targeted because he's mentally ill and convinces her friends to help her find the real arsonist.

None of us had a perfect life, but we did have each other.

A fantastic and well written story of survival, loneliness, love and the coming of age. The friends who offer such wonderful support, to each other, show how important small gestures can be to another person and how we can make a difference in the life of someone else. The author's description of upstate New York in which the main characters reside is beautifully and vividly described, as if you are a part of it. The characters all came to life, each with their own personalities and perfect imperfections. This is a beautifully written and compelling novel. The author has a magnificent way with words and I found myself re-reading paragraphs simply to relish the writing. The subject matter is gripping and the characters very well developed. I didn't want it to end, highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley, Mascot Books and Mary Jo Hazard for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#Stillwater #NetGalley