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Description
Seventeen-year-old Squid comes back to her childhood home on a remote lighthouse island off British Columbia after four years away, bringing her young daughter with her. Returning means facing her parents again, and none of them can ignore the painful events that split the family apart. This novel explores forgiveness, reconnection, and the difficult path to rebuilding trust.
Quick Summary
If your teen is into stories about family secrets and learning to forgive, this one's a quiet gem. Squid comes back to her tiny lighthouse island after four years away, and she's not alone she's got a little daughter with her, which throws her parents for a loop since they're still processing everything that happened before she left. The setting is gorgeous and isolated (it's basically its own character), and the way the family slowly untangles their messy history feels real without being preachy. It's more of an emotional, character-driven read than a plot-driven page-turner, so it might not click for kids who want constant action, but if they liked "The Great Gilly Hopkins" or books that explore how families break and then put themselves back together, this could be their next favorite. There's some bittersweet stuff here about growing up too fast and making hard choices, but nothing too heavy for older teens, and honestly, the lighthouse keeper dad is such a gruff but lovable character that you can't help but root for him. It's a solid choice for book clubs or just a kid who wants something that feels a little more literary than typical YA.