Gregory, Daryl Harrison
Squared 318 pages. Tom Doherty Associates, 2015. $25.99. Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f’); Mature
Content: PG; Violence: PG.
Harrison Harrison (or “H2”) has just moved with his mother
from warm, beautiful San Diego to the grim, remote, xenophobic New England
coast town of Dunnsmouth, Massachusetts.
Years ago, Harrison nearly died in a boating accident, and his father
did not survive the disaster. Harrison’s
mother is a marine scientist working on a research project, and just 2 days
after their arrival, her boat capsizes, and her body is not recovered. Harrison is unwilling to give up on the
search for his mother, so a distant aunt swoops in to take care of him.
Meanwhile, he and a group of dour students with secrets of their own clandestinely
put the town leaders under surveillance to find out what is really going on.
This book is highly readable. Great setting, remarkable characters, very
creepy tone, and suspenseful. I think it is “clean” enough for most middle
schools – the PG ratings come from one swear delivered aloud in a classroom,
and the mature content is implied about adults in the book, not the teens. Unbeknownst to me, this is a prequel to a
novella titled We are All Completely Fine,
so this would be a good additional read for fans of that book. The ending is too simplistic for all the
build-up, but the author is clearly leaving the door open for more to be done
with these characters in the future. Don’t let the ugly cover design put you
off!
MS/HS – ADVISABLE.
Reviewer: JA, High School
Librarian
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