The She

This was the fourth Carol Plum-Ucci book I read. It was longer than some of the others and I felt there was a bit too much filler, namely the supernatural aspect. It just didn't fit in with the rest of the story, other than maybe a brief mention. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Carol's books. This is just my least favorite.

in a sentence or two: Evan Barrett is haunted by the cloudy memories surrounding the death of his parents, and wants some real answers as to what really happened to his mom and dad on their last night at sea. he has faint, yet terrifying, memories of a horrible screeching coming from the sea - from a local legend he once firmly believed in called simply 'the she'... okay first of all, how cool is the title / cover of this book? regardless of my immense enjoyment of "the body of christopher creed" by the same author, i probably would have snatched this off the shelves of the library based on the sheer creepiness of the cover. that, and the intrigue of a sea-monster... Evan's parents disappeared when he was young. note, i say disappeared, not died...necessarily. there is a big fat cloud of mystery surrounding their last night at sea, and Evan, his brother Emmett, his aunt Mel, and his grandpa (opa) have all come to their own separate conclusions about what happened that night and why. Evan was never really sure what his theory was, mainly because his memories were suppressed for the most part until Grey slipped him some acid at a party...whoops. Emmett and aunt Mel have much more 'factual' opinions as to what happened, while Evan is increasingly convinced that 'the she' is responsible for what happened to his parents. now enter Grey - the girl who slipped Evan acid at a party without his knowledge. she too experienced something very similar to what Evan remembers...the screeching that only they could hear that happened right before someone died. that's right, only SOME people can hear the creeptastic screeching from 'the she', and it only happens when someone (typically a romantic couple, because apparently 'the she' gets jealous of lovers-on-the-sea) is about to meet their doom. while Evan lost his parents, Grey lost a person she hardly knew after her boat tipped and sucked the young girl to her death care of 'the she'. that event (as well as some unpleasant family history) bumped Grey into the mental hospital where she's trying to become a better and healthier person as well as discover what the heck is going on with 'the she'. of course, Grey and Evan join forces...though a bit reluctantly and awkwardly at first. he's still not over that whole i-slipped-you-acid thing. Plum-Ucci weaves a very intriguing story. she uses broken characters to create a mystery/coming of age hybrid that keeps you intrigued while genuinely caring about what happens to the characters. it's a tough line to walk, and at some points in the story, it begins to show. for the most part however, the balance is attained through the discovery of self and discovery of the mystery of the she. the characters discover just as much about themselves as they do anything else in the story. i was honestly able to feel the haunting presence of 'the she' at times while reading this. the descriptions of the sea, the houses, the boats, and everything else is so vivid and realistic that

The author does a wonderfully vivid job of developing both characters and setting, taking you into the marshes and marinas of the South Jersey shore and into the lives of two troubled teens. The developing relationship between prickly Grey and good-hearted Evan as they discover surprising things about themselves and each other was, for me, the best part of the story. The fascinating and suspenseful plot involves the fate of Evan's parents and local superstitions about a mysterious sea creature. Unexpected twists and turns will keep readers guessing right up to the end.

Carol Plum-Ucci has established a niche for her mysteries by blending realism and the unexplained. Following upon the success of The Body of Christopher Creed and What Happened to Lani Garver, the author penned a credible tale that is part problem novel and part supernatural thriller. THE SHE takes the reader to familiar territory in young adult fiction--death, drug abuse, rebellion against authority, and dysfunctional families--while also presenting a haunting overtone that prevails from the first page to the last. As a child, Evan overheard his parents' death at sea from the radio in their bedroom and continues to struggle with the circumstances that claimed their lives over ten years later. Were they drug smugglers who faked their death only to escape the authorities? Or were they the victim of a legendary sea monster rumored to have caused many shipwrecks along the neighboring shores? As he struggles to find the truth, he is joined by an unlikely female ally, a mentally-unstable "wild child" named Grey. Evan distrusts her initially due to their "bad history," but mutual sympathy and affection grows as they realize they both need to discover the truth about the local legendary sea monster, known only as "The She." As in her earlier novels, Plum-Ucci presents likeable anti-heroes as her main characters. Evan is popular at school but rebellious; Grey is infamous and feared, a practitioner of cruel jokes. They are the kind of characters one is drawn to, despite parental wishes. As their own tangled pasts are unwound, they grow more and more sympathetic to each other and the reader. Another subplot is Evan's relationship with his brother, a source of tension in his life. The brothers ongoing debate about their parents disappearance represents the dichotomy of rationality/skepticism vs. curiosity/faith; the reader will identify with both sides of this "coin." We are drawn to believe in myths and legends, but steeped well enough in the 21st-century to want a rational explanation for the unexplained. Each of them is forced to confront the other's point of view at critical junctures of the story, leaving the reader in suspense. Is there a sea monster? Or is there a rational explanation for their parents' disappearance? This tension remains to the very end of the novel, making it an enjoyable page-turner. It comes highly recommended. Reviewed by: Mark Frye, author and reviewer

This is a wonderfully written book with an interesting story and Carol Plum-Ucci's wonderful flair. But she is a victim of her own success - The She does not measure up when compared to her previous novels. You'll love it more if you haven't read her other books.