If You Live Like Me- Lori Weber

Lobster Press has been kind enough to send me some recent releases to read and review on my blog. The first one I picked up was If You Live Like Me. I am beginning to think there is a conspiracy to entice me to visit Newfoundland, as this novel and my recently reviewed Tales From Cook’s Cove series by Mary Sheppard have created such a strong sense of place, that it seems to be calling to me. I’ll let you know when I make the trip.

If you Live Like Me is a fine coming-of-age novel; without some of the overinflated angst that we have found recently in some teen novels. Cheryl is understandably upset; her parents have moved her yet again, this time to Newfoundland, in pursuit of her dad’s interest in dying cultures. They seem to lack understanding of the huge disruption in this teen’s life and try to focus on the positive. But for Cheryl, that equates a lack of understanding and caring, and she withdraws from them, determined she will find a way to go home to Montreal. Then she meets next-door neighbour Jim, who befriends her in a most accepting and engaging way. Gradually, against her better judgement, she is drawn into a relationship with him, which conflicts her between leaving and staying. The characters in this novel are finely drawn and we are inexorably drawn into the deepest feelings that are Cheryl’s. Although at times it seems to meander a bit, I ended up feeling that it helped us to more fully empathize with all the characters, and certainly drew us into the heart and culture of Newfoundland.

My biggest (and trivial) concern was the depiction of Jim’s auntie with whom he lived, as a frail, white-haired dotty old lady who turns out to be 60!!! OUCH! That hurt. Look around; I don’t know a single 60 year old who could match that description.