Family Reunion [Hardcover]

Caroline B. Cooney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1989 | Age Level: 11 and up

At a family reunion, Shelley comes to terms with her parents' divorce, her mother's absence, her new stepmother, and being the "stable" member of her colorful family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

One can see where Cooney's story is going from its early pages: Shelley, who has been through her parents' divorce and their subsequent remarriages views another, non-divorced family as perfect, before discovering that no one configuration of people means "family." But nothing else about the book is predictable. Shelley, her stepmother and embarrassingly obnoxious younger brother set off for a family reunion (with the "perfect family") in Iowa. Her father is on a business trip and her older sister is in Paris with their mother and stepfather. Afraid that she's about to meet her father's son by another woman, Shelley goes to the reunion full of expectations that mostly remain unfulfilled. Instead, she discovers the value of cousins and of imperfect family members, and witnesses her father's own coming to terms with his roots. Cooney sometimes second-guesses herself, introducing and retracting plot threads, not always to dramatic effect. But she tells her story with verve and instills in her characters realistic qualities to which readers will respond. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-- An amusing novel about a modern New York City family during a summer which includes a family reunion. On weekends, Father visits Vermont where 15-year-old Shelly, 12-year-old Angus, and new stepmother, Annette, enjoy the countryside. Older sister Joanna is visiting her mother in Paris, where she lives with her second husband. There is a certain amount of suspense about family history when they go to Iowa to visit the "Perfects," as they call their aunt's family. Much goes wrong at the reunion when the cousins turn out to be imperfect, regular teens. Shelly acquires her first two boyfriends and survives the embarrassing antics of her father and brother. This is not a problem novel but a realistic, humorous one about the changes which can occur in one summer. --Karlan Sick, New York Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 169 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (July 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553058363
• ISBN-13: 978-0553058369
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,418,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars substandard- caroline can do better, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Family Reunion (Hardcover)

This book, although very funny, centres too much on the narrator's discovery of her "real" self- feelings are dealt with to the extent of boredom, and the character of Angus deserves the limelight given to Shelley- she thinks like no other teenager and never realises that the reason her siblings are idolised and admired is because they are more interesting. Her aunt Maggie's transformation from bossy determined arrogant mother to realising her faults after one sharp sentence from Shelley is idealistic and unrealistic.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Family Reunion, October 7, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Family Reunion (Hardcover)

Fourteen year old Shelly's aunt, Maggie Preffyn, says her family is unstable. Her dad just married his third wife, Annette, her twelve year old brother, Angus, is selling shares for a bomb shelter behind their Vermont summer cottage and carrying around an old mannequin's leg instead of a backpack, and her sixteen year old sister, Joanna, is in Paris for the summer visiting their estranged mother and their new stepfather. In a few weeks, Shelly has to go with Annette and Angus to the Perfect Preffyn's family reunion, deal with her dad's side of the family and all the people in Barrington (her dad's hometown) making jokes about how may wives he's had, introduce Annette, while her dad is on a business trip. On top of all this, Shelly has to deal with family secrets, family fights, and confessions. This story was very exciting and comical. O didn't want to put it down.

This book had many real life situations, such as interpersonal relationships and family problems. Shelly has a crush on two boys, DeWitt and Toby. DeWitt is staying in the same little village in Vermont where Shelly's summer cottage is. Toby is visiting his grandparents in Barrington over the summer. Shelly first thought that Toby was her brother because he is the son of her dad's first wife, Celeste, but then finds out that his dad died when he was two.

The author's characters are very vivid. She describes them well and also lets you hear their voices. When Shelly talks about her different situations such as with her brother Angus, Miranda, a mean girl in Barrington, the Perfect Preffyns, Annette, and her cousin, Brett, who has run away from home and is living with a friend, become her.

The way the author depicts her settings makes them very lifelike. You can picture your self walking down the streets of both Vermont and Barrington. You can see all of the buildings and parks that are described. You can hear the lap of the water against the docks and the voices of the people and the kids playing in the street. The cars zooming by.

This book is good for sitting outside on a sunny day. It made me laugh a lot because of its hilarious situations. It's a wonderful story with great characters. It kept me interested the entire time and made me want to share it with my friends. There were some sad parts but they didn't last for long with Angus around. He always made everyone, including me, smile. Family Reunion was very enjoyable.

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprise Surprise, February 4, 2009

By 

Lil' Demon Angel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Reunion (Hardcover)

Definately surprising and nothing is what it seems Boys, love, broken families, divorce, annyoing families, Paris, siblings, cousing, rivalries. A big family story with a good ending that might make you cry.