At a Crossroads: Between a Rock and My Parents' Place
Grade 10 Up–In this sequel toA Year in Japan(Princeton Architectural, 2006), Williamson returns home to work on a book and figure out what she wants to do with her life. Like its predecessor,Crossroadscollects anecdotes and vignettes, and brings them together to create a perfect picture of someone lost at age 20-something. Highlights of her story include a Hall and Oates concert, flirting with the cute boy in the neighborhood who's just a little too young for her, battling noisy squirrels in the attic, and making a chain-mail outfit to wear at her cousin's Renaissance-themed wedding. And of course, she is constantly plagued by the question, So what are you up to these days? Williamson's light touch is what makes this work funny without being cruel, and, occasionally, sad without being depressing. The visuals, with their bright pastels, will appeal more immediately to girls. But anyone who has ever felt the frustration and malaise of figuring out the future will relate to and laugh along with this author's touching story.–Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.