The Properties of Water, a debut novel by Hannah Roberts McKinnon, was a pleasant surprise. It is a beautifully written story about two sisters, Lace and Marni Martin, although there is little interaction between them in the book.

Marni, the older sister was always the best. The best student. The best swimmer on the swim team. The prettiest. And while Lace always looked up to her, there were times that she got tired of being in her older sister’s shadow.

This doesn’t change when Marni is seriously injured jumping off Turtle Rock into the water below at the beginning of summer vacation, causing her to be away from home in a rehabilitation center. Now Lace experiences Marni’s friends’ uneasiness around her and wonders whether they are being nice to her because of the accident. Lace is reluctant to visit her sister and her mother, who has moved to be closer to Marni. Her father and grandparents visit as often as they can. Her father also hired Willa Dodge, a home caregiver to help around the house and ultimately assist them when Marni returns home. Lace thinks there’s something odd about her.

The Properties of Water ably explores Lace’s relationship to Marni, to her best friend Beth Ann and to Willa. The entire story is real, as if the reader is living inside Lace’s body. McKinnon’s writing is so descriptive, you can picture Willa’s midnight swims in the lake by the house or Lace and Beth Ann’s competition for cute Sully Tanner’s affections. You can picture all the characters and all the events as if you were there. And you can experience the emotions that are pulling Lace apart.

There is much more to this slim volume (only 163 pages) than one would expect. It might be one of my 10 best for 2011. Here’s hoping to read more from Hannah Roberts McKinnon real soon. ( )

A heartbreakingly beautiful read! Once again McKinnon drafts a gorgeously written and evocative tale of family, friends, and growing up. The imagery in this book is pitch perfect and beautifully rendered. The dialogue is spot on. The story of Lace and her sister Marni's relationship rings true to teenage girls all over, and their journey is a bittersweet tale of love, hope, and growing up together on a lake in Maine one summer. This book had me laughing out loud at the hilarious cast of zany friends, hoping for Sully Tanner, the handsome swim team coach, and questioning the intentions of the mysterious houseguest Willa Dodge. Lace's family endures a tragic accident that is written beautifully and readers will fall in love with this ordinary girl who experiences a summer that is anything but. A must read for teens and tweens! ( )