Why I'm Already Blue

In this oddly likable story, Lucy, 12, experiences pangs of loneliness when her older sister Jane goes away to school, retreats from a friendship with Gus (a boy she has grown up with who has muscular dystrophy) and worries about her parents' disintegrating marriage. She finds some comfort in strumming on a guitar and angling for conversation with a veteran who works at the convenience store near home. When Jane shows up with a baby at the family cottage, however, Lucy is forced into genuine action. For the first time, she understands that her parents' marriage cannot be mended. This novel, more mood than plot, is about the collision of emotions rather than a simple coming-of-age tale, about moments of insight rather than a compelling denouement. The many interesting themes (of people not being who they appear to be, of seemingly passive individuals suddenly taking charge, of those in control letting go) are aptly combined. The strength of Farish's first work is in the writing; trusting readers, the author leaves so much unsaid that they will be forced to reread and probe each line, and therefore share the revelations of the characters. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)