Books I've Loved: If I Fix You

I really enjoyed this book.  The protagonist, Jill, is a tough girl who'd rather spend time unde the hood of a car in her father's garage than anywhere else.  Her relationship with her father is beautifully drawn.

At the beginning of the long, hot summer, Jill and her Dad are broken.  Jill's mother has walked out on them after Jill caught her doing something inappropriate with the boy Jill's loved forever.  Now she's lost her mother and her best friend.  This isn't something she can fix, despite deperately wanting to.

When a new family moves in next door, Jill's life, and that of the seriously cute but scarred Daniel become entwined.  She wants to help him solve his problems, but quickly discovers that until she comes to terms with her own, she's no use to anyone else.

This was a real page turner for me.  Jill is a real, damaged character and her journey to understanding that, and coming to terms with the things that have hurt her, is both painful and raw.  There is a real darkness to this story with people exhibiting the very worst of human behaviour.  That Jill manages to  reconcile this, and come through the other side, is a testament to resiliance.

Definitely reccomended!

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

When sixteen-year-old Jill Whitaker’s mom walks out—with a sticky note as a goodbye—only Jill knows the real reason she’s gone. But how can she tell her father? Jill can hardly believe the truth herself.

Suddenly, the girl who likes to fix things—cars, relationships, romances, people—is all broken up. Used to be, her best friend, tall, blond and hot flirt Sean Addison, could make her smile in seconds. But not anymore. They don’t even talk.

With nothing making sense, Jill tries to pick up the pieces of her life. But when a new guy moves in next door, intense, seriously cute, but with scars—on the inside and out—that he thinks don’t show, Jill finds herself trying to make things better for Daniel. But over one long, hot Arizona summer, she realizes she can’t fix anyone’s life until she fixes her own. And she knows just where to start . . .