I'll Be There

April 11, 2011
Screenwriter and director Sloan delivers a cinematic, psychologically nuanced first novel of star-crossed love and the power of human empathy and connection. Sloan excels at crafting memorable characters and relationships, from the central, transformative romance between 17-year-olds Sam and Emily, who meet after her disastrous church solo, to finely sketched cameos. Sam and his sensitive, possibly autistic younger brother, Riddle, live an isolated and itinerant existence, subject to the whims of their violent and deranged father, Clarence. Tension escalates as Emily's family becomes attached to the boys, growing concerned for their well-being, and an unstable Clarence takes off with his sons once again. It's agonizing but thrilling reading as Sam and Emily try to surmount the many obstacles Sloan throws at them. Her skills as a writer are never in doubt, though the story can at times feel melodramatic, especially as it turns into a survivalist epic, and a plot thread about a classmate enamored with Emily devolves into slapstick. But Emily and Sam's romance is that of the against-all-odds, meant-to-be variety, and while the ending is too perfect, it is unquestionably earned. Ages 12âup.

April 1, 2011

"Making a connection to a person can be the scariest thing that ever happens to you." This truth hits especially hard now that Sam Border, currently known as Sam Smith, has met Emily Bell. Sam has never known many people. His father took Sam and his younger brother Riddle away from home when they were little, never to see their mother again, and ever since they've lived a life on the run. Clarence Border, their father, is a born liar and a cruel and abusive man, and Sam has taken on the role of protector of Riddle, who seems to be autistic. Mr. Bell, a music professor, discovers Sam's gifts as a musician and Riddle's skill at drawing, talents that become important to the tale. Sloan, a film writer and director (Angels in the Outfield and Made in America), has fashioned a cast of memorable characters with compelling stories and relationships, but, curiously, has neglected a basic scriptwriter's tool, dialogue, in her debut young adult novel. Too often, she violates the old writing teacher's advice: Show, don't tell. Too much explaining, too much going on, an overreliance on incomplete sentences and an unwieldy accumulation of subplots undermine a good story. (Fiction. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from May 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Seventeen-year-old Sam's and 10-year-old Riddle's lives have never been normal. Because of their abusive father's bad habit-stealing-they are always on the run. Sam stumbles into church wearing his cleanest dirty clothes on the day that Emily Bell sings "I'll Be There" by the Jackson Five. He can't help but feel that she is singing directly to him, and the two make a connection that later will change both of their lives. Because of many coincidences, the two eventually meet again and the relationship blossoms, but not without some hindrances. Sam's father commits a series of crimes, and he forces the boys to hit the road with him again. The brothers end up escaping their father's grip and get separated, and readers will flip pages frantically to find out if they are reunited with one another and with Emily's family. Sloan illustrates how we are all connected in big and small, positive and negative ways. Any reader who has ever questioned whether even the smallest gesture of kindness can make a difference will appreciate this book. Even though there are many characters and the scene is constantly changing, this riveting story will keep readers interested and guessing until the end.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2011
Grades 9-12 A naturally gifted musician, Sam and his younger, possibly autistic brother, Riddle, have been raised apart from society by their criminally insane father, Clarence, who constantly moves the boys from town to town, always one step ahead of the law. But when Sam meets Emily and a tentative friendship begins, the always unstable Clarence goes berserk and, taking the boys deep into the heart of a national forest, attempts to kill them. The boys escape, but Sam is injured in the process, and a harrowing survival story begins. Sloans novel is an exercise in excess, which is both good and bad news. Sam and Riddle are wonderfully appealing characters that readers will root for, but the story is occasionally over the top and misanthropic in tone, with too many characters that range from fatuous to grotesque. Still, this is a highly suspenseful read with a dynamic, cinematic quality that keeps the pages turning to the satisfying conclusion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011
Emily has a comfortable life with her middle-class parents; Sam and his younger brother are abused by their mentally unstable father. Regardless of circumstance, Emily and Sam feel an instant connection. Aided by a clipped, matter-of-fact narrative style, the novel flies by through multiple perspectives. The chorus of voices contributes to this life-affirming exploration of the subtleties of love, compassion, and relationships.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 1, 2011
When Sam locks eyes with Emily, who is singing an off-key rendition of the Jackson Five's "I'll Be There" in church, both seventeen-year-olds feel an instant connection. Emily has a comfortable life as the daughter of middle-class parents, while Sam had to stop attending school in the second grade and is abused by his mentally unstable father, Clarence. But this isn't your average girl-falls-for-boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks plot. When Clarence finds out that Sam and his younger brother, Riddle, are becoming close with Emily and her family, he takes off with the boys to Utah. An accident in the middle of a national forest abruptly twists the story to one of survival, and from there it's impossible to stop reading. Aided by a clipped, matter-of-fact narrative style, the novel flies by through the use of multiple perspectives: readers see inside the minds of not only Emily and Sam but scores of characters, including Riddle, Clarence, a popular boy obsessed with Emily (lending some comedy to the proceedings), an elderly housekeeper, an extreme cyclist, a hairstylist, even a black bear ("If you're asleep for ninety-four days, you wake up hungry"). The chorus of voices contributes to this life-affirming exploration of the subtleties of love, compassion, and relationships, and, in a heartwarming ending, all get what they deserve. Like the song it was named for, this book is hard to get out of your head. rachel l. smith

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)