Blue Eyes Better [Hardcover]

Ruth Wallace-Brodeur (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Written with quiet intensity, this beautiful and spare novel examines what happens to Tessa's family after her fifteen-year-old brother is killed in a drunk-driving accident. Their mother first retreats to her room, then goes away altogether, leaving Tessa and her father-and a great emptiness -behind. Tessa is desperate to draw her mother back. But she finds solace in a stronger bond with her father and help from different sources: a vivacious music teacher who senses what Tessa needs, an old woman on her paper route who has suffered losses of her own, and her best friend, whose constancy is just what we would expect.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With nary a superfluous scene or a wasted word, Wallace-Brodeur (Steps in Time; Callie's Way) crafts a deeply moving novel exploring a family's loss and grieving.When her 16-year-old brother, Scott, dies in a car accident, 10-year-old Tessa grapples with enormous guilt: although her parents thought Scott was spending the evening at the movies with his longtime best friend, Tessa had known that he was going to take a ride in the car of another, much wilder, boy, who, as it turns out, was drinking that night. Tessa's mother who always doted on her blue-eyed son, with whom she felt a "kindred spirit" retreats into her all-encompassing pain and leaves hazel-eyed Tessa and her father to stay with her sister on Cape Cod. The child then finds solace in the company of a grandmotherly neighbor and a progressive music teacher (who doubles as track coach), both of whom have suffered a loss of their own. Through their experiences, they help Tessa to grieve and to understand her mother's struggle. Tessa's first-person narrative reflects every nuance of the girl's feelings. As Tessa walks her neighborhood streets after her brother's funeral, her life irrevocably changed, she is struck by the steadiness of nature: "An eyelash moon gleamed in the sky above their house. After all that had happened, there it was." The author similarly portrays the contradictions of loss and renewal: Scott's absence also makes room for Tessa to blossom she discovers her athletic abilities as she pursues the 800-meter dash, and explores her propensity for music. At the urging of her music teacher, Tessa buys a notebook to record her memories of Scott the bad as well as the good and her honest entries add another poignant dimension. A fine choice for any middle-grader coping with grief or a grieving parent, and an exquisite example of spare, honest prose. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-The book describes 11-year-old Tessa's inward journey toward health and peace after suffering the sudden loss of her teenage brother in a drunk-driving accident. She desperately needs the comfort of her mother, who barely seems to notice her. She watches helplessly as her mother decides to leave home and spend time with her sister. Tessa and her father return to the routines of their daily life and find comfort and support at every turn. On her delivery of the weekly neighborhood newspaper she makes new friends, including a substitute grandmother who talks with her about loss. Her teachers are kind, especially her unconventional music teacher, who encourages her to join the track team and to record her thoughts about her brother. As Tessa talks and writes in her journal, she recognizes her conflicting emotions. She remembers how mean her brother had often been to her. She is guilt ridden for not telling her parents that she knew his plans the night he was killed, and feels anger at her brother for lying. But she also recalls some simple gifts he gave her and some special times they had together. Although the book begins with the jolting darkness of confusion and devastation, its tone is one of hope. Psychological survival stories often have a more limited audience than those with more physical action, but those interested in the drama of coping and healing will find a convincing portrait of a girl and her family rebuilding their lives after tragedy.

Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (February 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525468366
• ISBN-13: 978-0525468363
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,478,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blue Eyes Better, June 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Blue Eyes Better (Paperback)

Hi! Blue Eyes Better is about a girl named Terresa but they call her Tessa. Her brother Scott died and her mother is slipping away from her too. Tessa does not know what to do. Itb seems that her mother's love is slipping away with Scott's blue eyes. With the help of her friend she's getting through. Will Tessa be able to stop her mother?

What I liked about this bookis that it is very emotional and encouraging . Another reason I liked this book is because it feels like you have known the characters for a long time. The author knows how to explain what is happening through the whole book. I though that it was a great book.

I would recommend this book it to someone who who likes realistic fiction. I thnk everyone of all ages should read this book. I would especially recommend it to someone who has lost someone and is having trouble getting over it. This would help them understand everyting a bit better.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blue Eyes Better, October 23, 2002

By 

courtney phillips (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Eyes Better (Hardcover)

This book Blue Eyes Better by Ruth Wallace-Brodeur was an excellent book that I enjoyed very much. This book taught me a lot about other people who has lost someone that was real close to them. It also shows how to help someone else that is struggling through a love one. It talks about how they might need some extra time than yourself to get over someone that was real close to them. This books shows you how the family almost gets pulled apart due to the mother of having a real tough time getting over her son(Scott) who died from a recent car accident. The daughter(Tessa) had a little of a rough time and blamed it on herself but not in front of her parents, she wanted to show them that she was tough. Her dad took it hard to,but he went on with his life and he knew he has another child to deal with and help Tessa out too. Tessa's mother had to leave for awhile to spend sometime away from the house to not be around Scott's room and the area's that Scott was in. Tessa did not know why her mother had to leave though, she thought it was because of her, and she did not know if her mom would come back. Sometime's Tessa looked into her mothers eyes and wonder what she was staring at. She never knew. Tessa bacame real close to a lady named Mrs. Goldberg. Mrs. Goldberg helped out Tessa a lot and talked to her why her mother was acting this way, and that she needed time and space, and she will return home when the time is ready, so give her time and let her know that you are there for her whenever she needs you. When the time came she went home and did her normal things that she did when Scott was living. This whole time Tessa knew that Scott was going with his friend Kevin that night, but never told her parents about it, until her mother came back home and asked what was on her mind and all. Tessa's mom was there for her and supported her like a mother should. So I like this book a lot because it shows you so how much each person loves one another and is there for one another through thick and thin. This would be great for children who has a close one that died, and then they would know what to expect about others who are having a harder time than you. I think the author wrote this book to help out people, and how to get through things that are troubling them and not to let them all bottle up inside you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How different family members interact and attempt recovery, June 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Blue Eyes Better (Hardcover)

Tessa's older brother dies in a drunk-driving accident, and her family seems to be falling apart as her mother increasingly withdraws and her father maintains his separate distance. Will the family's grief ever end? How can they be close again? This probes how different family members interact and attempt recovery - sometimes alone, sometimes together.