The Leaving Season

December 21, 2015
Seventeen-year-old Middie Daniels is devastated when her long-time boyfriend, Nate, goes missing, and is presumed dead, after an attack on a Honduran village where he has been doing aid work. She can’t wrap her mind around the tragedy and finds herself going through the motions as she attends his memorial. Soon, Middie is spending time with Nate’s equally devastated best friend, Lee, even though the two have often been at odds (he semi-jokingly calls her Yoko for the way she has come between him and Nate). Lee brings out a more playful, risk-taking side in Middie, and debut author Jordan capably shows how Middie discovers new dimensions of herself, as well as how life moves on and brings new opportunities in the process. As the two head toward romance, surprises await them—though they may not feel like surprises for many readers, since the plot follows a straightforward, predictable trajectory. This aside, readers looking for happy endings won’t be disappointed as Middie stumbles her way back toward love and happiness. Ages 13–up. Agent: Charlie Olsen, Inkwell Management.

December 15, 2015
"Always and forever" describes the relationship between high school sweethearts Meredith "Middie" Daniels, a senior, and the handsome, newly graduated Nate. Their life together is predictably planned: "College, engagement, med school, marriage, family..." until a devastating event throws Middie's world into utter confusion. Nate's year abroad working with a nonprofit organization in Honduras goes horribly wrong when his village is raided by rebels, and Nate has apparently been captured or killed. Although she's devastated by the apparent death of her first love, Middie also feels free to explore a new relationship with Nate's best friend, the grumpy but charismatic Lee, who shows her an excitingly unconventional life involving skipping school, skinny-dipping, and fast motorbikes. The contrast between Lee and Nate forces Middie to confront her true self and choose between the comfortable predictability she thought she always wanted and the spontaneous freedom Lee offers. Her relationships with her school friends and family are delicately delineated with an authentic touch that teen readers (male and female) will find convincing. The real-life drama told in Middie's voice artfully weaves a complicated personal story of rebellion and personal growth as she figures out what is really important to her and what love really means. A touching coming-of-age romance. (Fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-Meredith "Middie" Daniels calls it the leaving season-the time when kids are graduating and leaving home for the first time. Her boyfriend, Nate, isn't leaving for college, though. He's taking a gap year volunteering in Central America while Middie finishes high school. When a horrible tragedy strikes within weeks of Nate's departure, it sends Middie reeling. None of her friends or family understand just how unmoored she feels. Well, no one except for Nate's best friend. Lee Ryan, a slacker who Middie never liked, who calls her Yoko, who is everything Nate is not, seems to be the only one who understands her grief. But can this ungrounded guy really help her reach solid ground again? Jordan has crafted a story about leaving, about growing up, and about finding your path and being true to yourself. The protagonist is a solidly drawn character, as is Lee. No new ground is covered but the plot twist near the end is well played. VERDICT Fans of Sarah Dessen, Lurlene McDaniel, and other similar romance authors may enjoy Jordan's debut offering.-Elaine Baran Black, Georgia Public Library Service, Atlanta

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
As Middie begins her senior year, her older boyfriend, Nate, leaves for a gap year volunteering in Honduras; the two plan to be together again for freshman year of college. But when Nate goes missing, Middie turns to his best friend, Lee, for support. The plot drags, but fans of contemporary realism with happily-ever-after conclusions should be pleased with this tale of grief and moving on.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)