Name: Fixing Delilah
ISBN: 9780316052085

Sarah Ockler

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition. Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced back together again? Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story, rich with emotion and filled with family, love, and self-discovery.

Fixing Delilah

When Delilah, her mother and her aunt spend the summer in Vermont settling Delilah's estranged grandmother's estate, long-held family secrets are painfully brought to light and Delilah finally learns some difficult truths about her family's past.

ashley hopkins

Just finished it.
love!
STARTED: 1-10-11
FINISHED: 1-18-11

MY THOUGHTS:
Can Delilah spend her whole summer in Red Ferns with a mom, who doesn't want to acknowledge their families past, with a boy who is much more then just some night in a car (like her "non-boyfriend" back home, and in a house where secrets remain just that?
This book is one of those, in my opinion, that really makes you think. It starts out with Delilah and her mom getting a call about Delilah's Grandmother passing away. After that things just sort of escalate from there. 

I had a lot of favorite parts in the book. I think Delilah reading her Aunt Stephanie's Diary entries was cool because then you could see what kind of person Stephanie was without her actually being in the book. (It says why but I'll leave that to the imagination) They felt like those moments when you wish you could have met her. Then the moments between Delilah and Patrick loved them. Everytime something happened I was wanting to say "Delilah, he's perfect for you." I wasn't sure about the relationship between Delilah and her mom at times I wanted to tell both of them to just get over things, but realized that there are somethings in life you can't just get over. (at least not over a course of a summer) I was glad that Delilah was able to make friends over the summer too that seemed to genuinely care for her. I think she managed to grow from who she was in the begining of the story to the end which is alwas a plus. 

There was a little annoyance I had with the book though, if you've read my stuff then you know the pace of a story is something that I either like or don't like. Well I wasn't happy with how slow it started. I was eager to know what was going on in Delilah's life that need to be "fixed" and you didn't find that out til closer to the end. I'm not even sure there were hints. Maybe so I just didn't pick up on them. That was really the only problem I had, and then again that's just my personal preference.

Jade Flynn

“We have the ability to pass our memories on. We just have to tell them to someone.” 

I'm going to keep this short and sweet, because nothing I write will do this book justice. This book was just phenomenal. The characters were relatable and I felt I really connected with the main character Delilah from the first couple of pages. This story was orignal, belivable and heart-warming at the same time. A girl who is trying to find herself...find out who she is and who she wants to be. A mother who is struggling with the ghosts of her past. It's just amazing the way Ockler TELLS the story. It's like your there, right along with Delilah. Taking her journey together. 

The message that I took away from this book is that family isn't unbreakable. But if it does break...you can try your damn hardest to put it back together again.

I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE.

Megan Leprich

I absolutely loved this book. The first book I read by Sarah Ockler was Twenty Boy Summer which I read many years ago and I had no idea she had written others. The romance and the family drama were executed perfectly and I loved all of the characters. I felt horrible for Delilah having to go through all that she did with her mom and her grandmother passing away and honestly this book brought me to tears quite a few times. 

Sarah Ockler's writing style always has kept me engaged and interested in the story and I love how well developed her characters are. This was a perfect summer read and I'm so excited to dive into her other works!

Jessica Nottingham

Delilah Hannaford comes from her own version of a broken family. Her mother is always at work, her father has been dead her whole life, and her non-boyfriend Finn is there to help her forget. Basically Delilah is learning how to grow up all alone. In what her mom sees as a cry for help, Delilah begins to slip at school and at life in general. Of course she blames it on her lack of a mom, and her mom blames it on her lack of responsibility. Cue a life changing summer.

What I loved most about this book was the family relationships that are explored in it. Delilah and her mother are miles apart, and all Delilah wants is to go back to the days when they understood one another. Isn't that how all mothers and daughters feel at some point? It's hard to keep up with the change. Watching the two of them each grow in their own right, and dive into the past that has haunted them, was amazing. I think I cried mostly because I'm so proud that my mom and I got past this point in our lives too. Readers will likely find a lot to connect with as they read.

The romantic aspect in this book was also so well written. Watching Delilah explore a relationship for "convenience" that allowed her to escape from her life made me go back to that time in my life. Then when she meets Patrick and the sparks fly, I was so smitten! Through one another they learn how to let go of the past, and how to embrace the future. Despite the problems they go through, the two of them fit together so perfectly that it's like pairing a brownie with a glass of milk. So wonderful together. 

Reading this book is like a refreshing drink of cool lemonade on a hot day. It's the type of book that allows you to just sit back, watch some family mending going on, and day dream about those past summers. Sure, it has moments of angst. Yes, Delilah is a wreck. However the characters in this book are so lovable, so sweet, and so real, that you'll find yourself becoming a part of their family without even trying. This book made me smile and cry, both in equal parts, and I love it so much more for that.

I know I've rambled, and I apologize, but I cannot recommend this book enough! I loved it so much that you can be sure that I will be buying a copy and spreading the love. Thank you Sarah Ockler for such a sweet, refreshing, and all around honest read. I need more of these in my life.