Across the Grain (Aerial Fiction) [Paperback]

Jean Ferris (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Aerial Fiction

After their mother's death, seventeen-year-old Will reluctantly follows his flighty older sister to the desert, where he is determined to make a new and stable life for himself-with or without his sister.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Having been placed under the guardianship of unpredictable Paige, 17-year-old Will Griffin has no choice but to go along with his older sister's crazy whims. When Paige decides that she and her brother should rent their house by the ocean and move to a remote desert town, Will is dismayed at the prospect of changing schools and starting a job as a short-order cook at the Snakebite Cafe. Yet after growing accustomed to his new environment, Will's grim outlook begins to change as he forms friendships with two troubled individuals--a whittler and an amateur filmmaker. By emphasizing the expanse, silence and subtle beauty of the desert landscape, Ferris ( Invincible Summer ; Looking for Home ) creates an effective backdrop for the confidential chats and internal reckonings which abound throughout her novel. Although the presentation of male/female roles is somewhat stereotyped, characters' conflicts are convincingly and movingly expressed. Without providing pat resolutions to problems, this book offers some thought-provoking ideas about commitment, dependence and self-discovery. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-- At 17, Will is the serious and steady one, looking after his irresponsible older sister, Paige, who, since the death of their mother, has been his legal guardian. Always eager for a change, Paige moves them to a small settlement in the California desert to be close to her latest boyfriend without considering Will's feelings. For him, it means a school switch in his senior year and leaving the ocean, which he loves. There is little to like in the desert, given his exhausting part-time job as a cafe cook, a small trailer shared with messy Paige, the heat, the boredom, and the loneliness. Unexpectedly, Will is forced to abandon his anger and self-pity as Sam Webb, a master carver, becomes the badly needed father-figure he never had. Classmate Mike Macey, the sensitive, often too-intense daughter of an antropologist, is also drawn to Will. Against a backdrop of the desert's beauty and attraction, Will struggles to define himself as a person with needs that take priority over Paige's demands and manipulations. Ferris' major characterizations are strong, perceptive, yet subtle; minor ones fade, and are stereotypes or poorly defined without motivation. The natural settings are superbly painted. The problem that Ferris poses is believable, and the pace should hold the interest of thoughtful YA readers. The resolution is unlikely, but possible, and the author makes readers care about likable, earnest Will and his friends.
- Libby K. White, Schenectady County Pub. Lib., Schenectady, NY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (April 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374400571
• ISBN-13: 978-0374400576
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,389,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Across the Grain was fantastic!, November 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Across the Grain (Hardcover)

Across the Grain was a wonderful book about friendship, care, and fun. Will, Mike and Sam, become close friends, and share their creativity, hearts, and their lives. Through hard times and good times, they comfort each other and it will create a smile on your face. This is much like life and you will be amazed how the author wrote it like it was about her and her friends. I recommend it to teens in 7th, 8th or 9th grade.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Book, December 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Across the Grain (Aerial Fiction) (Paperback)

I like the book Across The Grain, I think it really puts you in the book. It is about a boy who moves to the desert from Cali. I think it shows what some people go through when they move to a new area. It is a emotional but funny book. I'd give it five stars anyday!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Really Great Book, September 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Across the Grain (Hardcover)

I have read many books, and I thought this was good. It really showed how a friendship should be. I think Will matured through-out the book and became less focused on his sister, Paige. I wouldn't have changed anything about this book, and I recommend that you read it.