Girlwood

Girlwood
Claire Dean
Published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2008; ISBN 0618883908
Recommended reading age: 12 and up

Summary:
Bree’s life began spinning out of control after she got into drugs. When she goes missing, her sister Polly believes she has run away to the woods to heal her life. The community, though, gives up on Bree. Polly alone holds on to the idea of Bree in the woods, and does her best to protect her sister through the winter. She discovers a grove of trees where she believes Bree sleeps—a grove of trees where she believes fairies live. Polly names this grove Girlwood. Throughout the winter, Polly leaves food and other necessary items in Girlwood so Bree will stay safe. Even as Polly’s loneliness grows, she learns the value of friends, family, and personal strength.

Review:
The idea of a missing sister sounds pretty depressing, and I wasn’t expecting Girlwood to be especially uplifting. But Claire Dean manages to turn a tragedy into the basis for hope. She also includes a plot about developers wanting to tear down Girlwood in order to erect buildings. The community debate makes for interesting environmental, conservationist dialogue. The environmental aspects and the beautiful coming-of-age story combine in a successful novel. Readers will enjoy Girlwood if they have sisters, if they like Francesca Lia Block, if they love fairies, and if they’re environmentally aware.