You Have Seven Messages

Gr 8 Up—Luna's mother has been gone a year now—killed suddenly when she stepped in front of a taxi. And while the teen and her brother, Tile, are still trying to make sense of life without her, Luna comes across her mother's cell phone and discovers seven unopened voice messages. Luna listens to them and discovers secrets about her parents' relationship, including a clandestine affair. Her pain eases somewhat as her interest in photography, along with the gift of a camera from her father, sends her out into the city taking pictures and leads to her first gallery show. But with the growing understanding of the circumstances surrounding her mother's death also comes a growing awareness of herself as an individual, not just the daughter of two famous people. She feels stirrings of a first love when she meets her neighbor Oliver. He is dealing with issues of his own, from a domineering father to a former girlfriend who wants to end his new relationship with Luna. A solo trip to Italy to visit her uncle and his companion gives her the time and space she needs to resolve her feelings toward her father, Oliver, and her loss, and she discovers that sometimes the answers you want are not exactly the ones you find. The hook of the unopened phone messages ties the various story lines together nicely. With its realistic portrayals of love in various relationships and the theme of developing one's sense of self, the story will appeal to older readers.—Diana Pierce, Leander High School, TX