Mischief and Malice

March 2, 2015
More than 35 years after the publication of Secret Lives, Amoss returns with a sequel that sees now-14-year-old Addie Agnew living with her Aunt Toosie, Uncle Henry, and “hateful” cousin, Sandra Lee, in the weeks before Pearl Harbor. Addie’s Aunt Eveline has died, but Addie still feels close to her, thanks to the Catholic belief in communion with the saints. Addie struggles with romance: she’s not sure how she feels about Tom, her best friend who seems boring compared to Sandra Lee’s boyfriend. When Tom’s father, Louis, returns after having abandoned his family, Addie is sure she is in love (“It must have happened before, and he’d only be forty-four when I was twenty”), but Louis’s attentions to Addie may have more to do with a secret he is hiding. While the mystery element is slightly rushed and too easily solved, Addie’s crushes will resonate with all who have misplaced their affections. The competitive relationship between the cousins is realistically drawn, and Addie’s amusing, tart observations and the homey New Orleans setting form the heart of this lively and engaging read. Ages 9–up.

May 1, 2015
Grades 3-6 It's 1941, and 14-year-old Adelaide Agnew's world is upside down. In this new follow-up to her recently reissued classic YA mystery Secret Lives (1979), Amoss returns to Audubon Street to introduce Addie to the madness of debutante dances and first loves. The new neighbors are up to something, Addie's dearly departed aunt Evangeline won't stop invading her thoughts, and Addie may be a tiny bit in love with the boy next door's father. Not only that, Addie has chanced upon a family secret hidden in the attic, which becomes a mystery with grave implications. Addie is quick to fall in loveher actions don't always make senseand the mystery is slow to start. But once it does, it zips along quickly, and readers will be entertained by the boy-crazy teen's 1940s love strategies. Addie's quirky New Orleans family is zany and lovable, even if their relationships are occasionally unclear. Fans of period mysteries such as Judy Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied (2008) and Jennifer Bradbury's Wrapped (2011) will enjoy how the family drama and romance unfurls.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2015

Gr 5 Up-In this follow-up to the author's classic Secret Lives (Little, Brown, 1979), which first introduced readers to pre-World War II era character Addie Agnew, the protagonist is now is 14. Following the death of her beloved guardian Aunt Eveline, she goes to live with her Aunt Toosie, Uncle Henry, and cousin/rival Sandra Lee. Fickle and boy-crazy, Addie is a hilarious character who starts the book smitten with classmate Leonard McCloskey. Addie even pleads to her deceased aunt to please let Leonard just know that she exists. However, her devotion to Leonard wavers when her best friend Tom's handsome and estranged father Louis mysteriously returns after a 10-year absence. Mischief ensues as the protagonist hatches several plans, encouraged by words from comical advice book, Dearest, to win Louis's heart. In her attempts to secure love, she uncovers that Louis's return may not have been as altruistic as he claimed. Amoss excellently re-creates a prewar atmosphere, and it seems like the book itself was written during a different time period. While fun and engaging, some of the book's terminology might be confusing to children who do not have a Catholic background and much of the humor will be lost on them. VERDICT An excellent purchase for Catholic school libraries or for public libraries with a high demand for historical fiction and chaste romance.-Ellen Fitzgerald, White Oak Library District, Lockport, IL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.