The Water's Edge

Gr 7 Up—Sixteen-year-old Ernesto Sandoval's life seems to be on the verge of change. His schoolmate's mother is dying of cancer; his own mother is about to have another baby; and his girlfriend, Naomi Martinez, seems too good to be true. When her brother hits Ernie in a drunken fit and runs away, he tracks Zack down and helps to reunite the family so that Naomi's life will stay stable, even if his isn't. Then Naomi is asked to sing in a nightclub and Ernie wonders if she'll leave him when she becomes a star. But Naomi decides that instead of being in the spotlight she'd rather pursue a career in medical research. Ernie reflects at the end of the novel that changes will come, and that it's best to meet them head on. Savvy readers will be distracted and struggling readers will be confused by the myriad characters and vacillating points of view. Add phony dialogue and a tedious plot and Water's Edge quickly becomes a shelf sitter. Only die-hard fans of Schraff's "Bluford High" series (Scholastic) might limp their way to the end.—H. H. Henderson, Heritage Middle School, Deltona, FL