The Local News by Miriam Gershow

This review is from Daily Candy. I loved it so much and found it to be such a unique and fresh way to write about books. It’s much more personal than most book reviews and isn’t trying to sound too boisterous or jaded.

Your older brother worked hard to prove his love. Dunking your hand in warm water while you slept; incessantly giving you noogies. There were times you wanted him to disappear.

In first-time novelist Miriam Gershow’s The Local News, socially awkward 15-year-old protagonist Lydia Pasternak longs for some time away from her popular older brother Danny — until he actually goes missing.

Lydia is immersed in a complicated stew of grief, relief, and guilt when Danny’s football and cheerleader friends rally around the girl they’ve always ignored (or worse). As the search drags on, she learns to navigate a shifting world.

But it’s not all doom and gloom: Lydia’s clever quips pepper amusing images throughout, like when the heroine, drunk for the first time, suddenly discovers her extra-large pores.

It’s enough to make you love your brother — wedgies and all.

{image courtesy of Daily Candy}

Many of you may be familiar with the illustrator, Sujean Rim‘s work. She is the illustrator for the extremely popular site (and book) Daily Candy. Well, it was just reported yesterday that Sujean Rim’s book, BIRDIE’S BIG GIRL SHOES has been sold to Little, Brown Children’s. We can’t wait to see what is sure to be a delightful and gorgeous book that every woman will want to buy for the little girl in their life (or the little girl in themselves).