Cicada Summer

Grades 4-7
Lily has been invisible for the past two years. She doesn't talk, she won't look people in the eyes, and the townspeople think that she's brain-damaged. She's not, but she's content to have them think that and leave her alone. She sits unresponsively in school, but when nobody is around, she loses herself in Nancy Drew mysteries. Tinny, the new girl in town, unexpectedly stumbles across the fact that Lily can read, and makes it her mission to torment Lily with the knowledge. But Tinny has some secrets of her own, and Lily is determined to discover them before Tinny can hurt her great aunt Fern. When a strange man comes to town, Lily realizes that Tinny's secrets are dangerous ones. Interwoven in the story of Lily and Tinny are show more flashbacks to Lily's brother Pete, slowly revealing more about their relationship and the reason that Lily hasn't spoken for the last two years. Andrea Beaty mixes in just enough mystery and suspense to make this a very hard book to put down. Don't be fooled by the rather bland title and cover... this is a page-turner. show less

Lily has perfected the art of being invisible. For the past two years she hasn't spoken or looked anyone in the eyes. Everyone thinks she's brain damaged. But Lily has a secret. A secret she's never told anyone. When the new girl Tinny comes to town, Lily knows right away that she's trouble. Having read every Nancy Drew book in the library, Lily knows how to spy on Tinny and she's determined to keep an eye on her until she figures out what Tinny is hiding.

The thing I loved most about this book was that it had the perfect buildup of suspense. From the very beginning when we find out that Lily is hiding something, I was hooked and the climax didn't let me down.

Quick, great read. Beaty does a wonderful job of intertwining the story with bits and pieces of reality to bring the reader into the action. Twelve year old Lily does not speak. Not because she can't, it's because she chooses not to. Not since some terrible accident that everyone thinks has left her brain damaged. Due to this opinion, she is left on her own, a silent witness to the world around her. Without giving away the storyline, I would like to mention I particularly liked the father fingering his pocket overalls throughout the story. My only qualm is not the book itself, it's that it's a Sunshine State Nominee (Florida state prize) for students grade 3-5. Why do all the stories have to be about death? There are good stories out show more there that aren't so heavy. show less

Another of my son's books that he highly recommended. Lily lives in a mid-western town with her father. She hasn't spoken since a tragic accident and now the town thinks she's a little off in the head. When a new girl comes to town and brings trouble with her Liliy is forced to decide whether she will talk again and risk revealing the secrets of the tragic night.

Poor Lily has never been quite right since the accident. Unable to read or even speak, she’s become all but invisible to most of the townsfolk except for her father and Fern the kindly shopkeeper. But Lily is hiding a dark secret. She really can speak, and even read – she’s read all of the Nancy Drew books in the school library – but she must never, ever let anyone know it. If Lily were ever to speak again it would mean confronting a terrible truth, not only for her but for her father as well. Yet the fragile equilibrium of Lily’s world is broken one summer when Fern’s mysterious niece Tinny comes to town. Tinny brings trouble with her for both Lily and Fern, and Lily will need all of her detective skills to decipher show more Tinny’s plans. But can Lily find the courage to stop Tinny when it will mean revealing her own hidden secrets?

Cicada Summer is a poignant story of one girl’s struggle to come to terms with a terrible loss, and of her relationship with her single father. As much as it’s a father’s role to protect his children, sometimes they try to protect us too. And sometimes decisions made out of love and the best intentions are still the wrong ones. At its heart, this book is about the love that father and daughter share, and about the harsh realities of life that often intrude on our families despite our best intentions. With just enough of a mystery to add interest to the family drama without overshadowing it, this book is a good read for both fathers and daughters. Reviewed by Book Dads show less

Lily loves reading Nancy Drew books. She loves them so much that she sneaks them out of the library to read them. Why does she sneak them out? Ever since an accident that took her voice, people have considered her brain damaged. She has let them. It is easier to handle the pain. Things change when a young girl named Tinny comes to town and discovers Lily's secret. She blames Lily when she steals from her great aunt. Lily is not the only one hiding something. Lily is sure Tinny is up to no good and just like Nancy Drew she is going to solve this mystery. This was a very good book. The characters were very believable. I didn't quite understand the situation with Lily's brother until I finished the book. Then I went back to the beginning show more and re-read the first chapter. It all clicked. There were two mysteries working side by side here. Great book. I recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries. show less

Annotation: Lily hides herself from the world, hoping to remain invisible. The appearance of a new girl in town threatens to expose Lily’s deeply buried secret.

Review:

Lily hasn’t spoken in two years and works hard at being invisible to those around her. When a new girl, Tinny, moves to the town Lily fears that the girl will expose her secrets and bring her unwanted attention. Lily begins to loathe the girl, yet is drawn to her for she can sense Tinny is hiding something. Events in the town, bring the girls closer together creating a bond between them that helps to bring Lily out of her shell. Andrea Beatty’s book is a pleasure to read. Both the characters of Lily and Tinny are well developed and sensitively portrayed. The show more mysteries behind the girl’s secrets are slowly revealed creating a slow build up of suspense. Readers should be able to sympathize with Lily’s struggle to come to terms with the events that led her to stop speaking. This book will most likely appeal to girls more than boys, with the focus of the story more on the female characters than the minor male characters. I recommend it for children ages 10-14.

Other Reviews:

Both reviews are positive for Cicada Summer. School Library Journal points out that the small rural town setting is perfect background for the drama that unfolds. I thought this was an astute observation, for the lack of action in the small town allowed for the smallest of incidents to become part of the mystery.

Booklist 104.19-20 (June 1, 2008): 74(1)
School Library Journal 54.6 (June 2008): 134(1) show less