Bittersweet - Hardcover

Lamm, Drew

4.17

82 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 061816443X ISBN 13: 9780618164431

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2003

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Taylor has always thought of herself as an artist, never lacking ideas or creative energy. But when her beloved Grams, who has raised her from infancy, suffers a stroke, Taylor’s world is shaken. People she thought she knew suddenly assume confusing new identities. Worst of all, her artistic ability deserts her—and if she isn’t an artist, who is she? Since she can’t create images on paper or canvas, there seems to be no reason not to paint her own face and body, no reason not to stop talking for a week, or throw the telephone out the window, or make a boutonniere of raw frogs’ legs for her prom date. . . . Slowly, Taylor finds her way through the aching grief of Grams’s absence and the shifting layers of her emotional reality to a clearer perception of herself, her surroundings, and her connections with others. Poignant, edgy, and irreverent, her voice will resonate with anyone who has had difficulty crossing shaky ground.

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About the Author:

Drew Lamm’s published work includes picture books and short stories. Bittersweet was her first novel and her first book for Clarion. She lives in Rowayton, Connecticut.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 6-11-Taylor Rose is bright, creative, and emotionally out of control. Raised by her grandmother and her psychologically absent father, she has flourished under the guidance of this woman who revels in life, celebrates people, and loves her unconditionally. Now, with Grams in a nursing home unable to even recognize her after suffering a stroke, the teen begins to shut down. She longs for her father to talk to her but "everything interesting about me slams closed when Dad walks in." School, where she's always been confident and outgoing, seems like a different place; "something inside me shrinks when I walk into school." And her art, which was what Taylor did, dreamed of, and lived for, has disappeared. She has simply lost the ability to create as surely as Grams has lost the ability to communicate. While readers never really know what Taylor's art looks like, they can feel the power of her involvement with it in her language, which is as full of color and nuance as the paintings of Chagall, Gram's favorite artist. This is a story of a spirited young woman finding new ways to express her feelings and needs, rebuilding her life, and accepting her losses. Lamm has written a dramatic, poignant, realistic first novel with a character who will find a place in readers' hearts.
Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL
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