Review: See You at Harry's

See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



There are a lot of contemporary young adult books that try to address issues in teens and middle schoolers in a very real way. I've now read two Jo Knowles books, and she's quite the master at doing this, even if See You at Harry's samples from all the Relevant Issues ingredient shelves and bakes them together in a very solid, somewhat manic read.

The book is primarily about a family that owns an ice cream shop. Five people in the family, the friends that are made from school and from the shop, the bullies and unreasonable adults that remain in orbit, and everything in between.

The book works well because it deals with the peaks and valleys of life, and how communities come together in various forms of tragedies, as well as successes. The major plot point does come unexpectedly, which is so appropriate in a sense, but it does put a lot of the other issues on the back burner - again, where they belong in context. It's a different reading experience in that regard, but it's still applause-worthy.

This is a great read that I'm glad I was able to trip up over. Jo Knowles is fast becoming a favorite YA writer for me, and she deserves a lot of credit for bringing up a lot of issues for the age group that don't feel forced or preachy. Highly recommended.



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