Solo by Alyssa Brugman
Wow…I just finished this amazing book and I am still in shock. Brugman always manages to write powerful books for young adults, and this one is no exception. I knew when it first came out I wanted to read it immediately, but the waiting list was too long. Finally, a year later came its turn.
Mackenzie is an experienced liar. All the way through the book the reader is wondering which version of the story is the truth. All you can be sure of is that she is a troubled girl who has had bad breaks from the time she was a small child. She also has anger management issues, and these land her a mandatory ‘camp’ courtesy of the courts. She choses to do the 24 hours alone in the bush option, and there the demons and muddled memories catch up to her.
Fairly early the reader works out that Mackenzie is the daughter of a druggie. But she is evasive about what happened to her father and step-brother. At the end when she finally finds the courage to admit what happened the reader is caught between cheering her on, and crying that any child could truly be that alone and unloved.
As always Brugman excels in finding a strong voice for her female characters. Mackenzie is no different.
However, some readers may find this difficult to manage the conflicting stories and the minimal action. This is a book for the tearjerker, realistic fiction fan.
