It was be very easy for a novel narrated by a girl who feels lost among her large quirky family to feel cliche; the situation is familiar and Fern's embarrasment about her family and nerves about beginning at a new school could easily translate as whiny or repetetive. But in Jo Knowles' capable hands, See You at Harry's is anything but cliched or overdone. All the characters stand out as interesting and realistic. As a reader you can recognize people you've known, loved, and/or been related to among Fern's family, friends, and enemies; they are quirky enough to be unique and familiar enough to be relatable but overall they are also complex enough to avoid becoming flat stereotypes. As a narrator and protagonist, Fern especially stands out as someone with whom nearly any reader can find a connection. She loves her family yet they drive her absolutely insane; she's perceptive, caring, and smart but still very much in the middle of figuring out who she is and what kind of person she will choose to become.
Additionally, Jo Knowles takes on the difficult topics of loss and grief with authenticity and grace. Through Fern's reactions and her observations of her family and friends' reactions, Knowles paints an achingly realistic and sympathetic portrait of the complex and conflicting emotions that bubble up within us in the face of death. See You At Harry's is an emotionally powerful novel about the pain of growing up, the shocking confusion of loss, and the rocky road to healing.
Come by the library to get a taste of Jo Knowles' new novel,
See You At Harry's
on display now in our fiction section!
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