Wednesday, August 13, 2008

How To Build A House by Dana Reinhardt

Harper's family has been torn apart. Her father and step-mother have just gotten a divorce, which in turn seperates Harper from her step-sister and best friend Tess. That's probably why she decides to fly to Tennessee for the summer, as part of a teen volunteer group to build a house for a family who lost theirs in a tornado. Building a house is hard work, but also very rewarding. Living in a run-down motel, she gets to know the other volunteers and meets Teddy, the son of the family whose house is being rebuilt. The two hit it off quickly, a friendship that blossoms into a summer romance. It's hard for her to trust Teddy, but when she does, she learns important life lessons along the way, including the importance of a home.

I loved this book. Harper felt so real, she could be an actual person. I liked the fact that she got along with her step-family; in most books or movies, it's the opposite. The secondary characters completed the story. When Harper had to say good-bye to them, I felt like I was saying good-bye, too. The book is not a thriller, but definitely had an element of suspense. Harper tells the story of her parent's divorce in increments, leaving the reader to keep flipping pages in order to discover what happened. And who doesn't love a summer romance, complete with the charitable act of building a house for a family in need? This book has everything and more, and it even provides a bit of wisdom: Harper learns to look to the past and the future, while at the same time to Be Here Now.

8 out of 10

1 comment:

asdfjkl; said...

I wasn't so sure I would like this book when I first saw it, but now I think I may have to check it out. Also, I like your new blog colors!