Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Synopsis

Things in Delilah Hannaford’s life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can’t seem to keep it together anymore. Her “boyfriend” isn’t much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family’s painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced back together again?

 

My review

Fixing Delilah is not the first book I've read from Sarah Ockler and this is maybe one of the reasons why I chose to buy this book. I liked her writing and the story of “Twenty Boy Summer”. It actually brought me to tears a few times.
But I have to be honest: I expected “Fixing Delilah” to be a little more different because I think the synopsis overstated the story.

It’s a book about broken families and self-discovery.  Family is a big part of our lives and no matter what, they’ll always be there. We can’t run away from mistakes because some day we have to deal with it one way or the other.
 

Delilah Hannaford is a sixteen-year-old girl who currently has lots of trouble on her side. Her friends are not her friends anymore, her boyfriend really isn’t much of a boyfriend and her mum is working day and night. Her dad got killed before she was even born.
Welcome to Delilah Hannaford’s life, where a family isn’t much of a family anymore. Now she has to deal with the death of her grandmother, fixing the relationship with her mother and her long-missed friend Patrick.

It has never been easy for Delilah, growing up without a dad and a mother who is working more and more hours every day. Her friends aren’t the ones she thought they are and even the one person she should trust is not the one she is looking for. On top of all the teenage problems her grandmother died whom she didn’t saw in nearly more than eight years. No one is telling her about the fight that parted her family back then, until they get back to the town she used to live for eight years. Old memories are coming back. Old friendships reconnect and new relationships are build.
But even after her grandmas death no one wants to talk about what happened years ago. Delilah is determined to find out more about her family and who she really is.
While her mother wants to get out of town as soon as possible, she and her aunt are taking their time.
They want to fix her grandmother’s house and put it on sale but it turns out that deep inside no one is ready to leave it again.
During that time Delilah spends a lot of time with her childhood best friend Patrick and they start to fall in love.

I don’t want to give away too much of the book’s storyline but get ready for a few surprises at the end.

Fixing Delilah is the second book of Sarah Ockler and even though I think the story of the book doesn’t fulfill the description of the synopsis and the first book of hers, it has its own ups and downs.

It didn’t thrill me like I thought it would but despite that I really enjoyed reading it.
The focus is mainly on Delilah’s search for identity, where she’s coming from. She is looking for answers about her family and why she is like she is. The book addresses a mother-daughter relationship and shows us how important it is to talk to each other and take some time for one another.
One the other hand it’s also about true friends and how they can change your life.

Sometimes I didn’t understand Delilah’s actions at all. In my opinion she overacts a few times and her whole situation was just overstated. I think it would’ve been nice to write something more about Delilah’s situation before they went away for the summer holidays because it obviously changed her a lot and is a big part of the story.
I had a problem with her relationship with Patrick and how they rekindled.
I mean, if I wouldn’t have seen my childhood friend for over eight years, don’t keep any contact and then suddenly see him again when we’re both teenagers I guess I wouldn’t tell him everything right away.
It’s normal that you change a lot during that time and grow up to a totally different person.
Delilah and Patrick don’t have any problems at all and just like that, they’re best friends again.
I doubt it’s very believable.
But throughout the story their relationship develops and I start to like them as a couple.

In the end I think it’s a good book because the author told the story very realistic, in a way.
I liked it and just can recommend it to everyone who’s looking for a good YA-book. It’s definitely a story to think about.