Goldengrove by Francine Prose

Synopsis from Goodreads:  After the sudden death of her beloved older sister, thirteen-year-old Nico finds her life on New England's idyllic Mirror Lake irrevocably altered. Left alone to grope toward understanding, she falls into a seductive, dangerous relationship with her sister's boyfriend. Over one haunted summer, Nico faces that life-changing moment when children realize their parents can no longer help them as she experiences the mystery of loss and recovery. Still, for all the darkness at its heart, Goldengrove is radiant with the lightness of summer and charged by the restless sexual tension of adolescence.

My thoughts:  I had the opportunity to read Goldengrove through a book group hosted at  Everyday I Write the Book.  I read the synopsis and thought "What the heck, I should try something new" so I jumped on board.

This story was a bit unnerving at times.  I was afraid for Nico on more than one occasion.   This story touches upon several intense subjects for a 13 year old to be dealing with, but doesn't explore them in depth.  It deals a bit with sexuality, depression and suicide, not to mention the major theme which was the death of Nico's sister.  Even though I feared for Nico, I was never truly invested in the story.  I'm somewhat pleased with the way things turned out.  The ending felt a bit rushed and I find it odd that Nico won't talk about someone that she had such a close relationship with. 

I'm glad that I read it, but it's unlikely that I'll read it again anytime soon.

Disclosure:  I received my copy of Goldengrove from the publisher to participate in the book group hosted at Everyday I Write the Book.