Gr 8 Up-This debut novel is a story of loss, love, and friendship, about a teenager coming to terms with the past and dealing with repressed memories that are resurfacing. Otis Mueller, 16, an introverted swimmer at Willow Grove High School, is thrown for a loop when Meg, his all but forgotten first love and former next-door neighbor, sends him a message telling him that she is returning to his life for three weeks over the summer. When she left suddenly three years before, he was brokenhearted and unable to cope with the recent death of his little brother. Spending his time swimming for fun, Otis comes under the wing of Dara, a troubled 18-year-old with an amputation who wants to help Otis make it to the Olympics. Otis must unite his past and present and rank his priorities: regaining Meg's love despite her longtime boyfriend, helping Dara through her phantom limb pains, staying committed to the sport he has grown to love, and fully understanding the death of his younger brother. Readers will find Otis relatable and endearing in his first-person perspective of first love and heartbreak, as well as his unwavering loyalty to his friends. Meg and Dara round out a cast of well-developed characters who have extensive troubles of their own. VERDICT Most teenagers will find a little bit of themselves in this well-executed work; a must-have for most YA collections. Kristin Unruh, Novi High School, MI

It's been three years since Otis' little brother died under mysterious circumstances, and Meg, Otis' best friend and first love, moved away. Otis, grieving and confused, threw himself into swimming, catching the eye of Dara, a former Olympic hopeful whose own swimming dreams were dashed when she lost an arm. Dara's determined to turn Otis into the Olympic swimmer she can no longer be, but for the most part, he's just going through the motions until Meg, who has been out of touch since she left, comes back to town, turning his world upside down and making him question what really happened three years ago. Otis' journey a competitive swimmer and as a grieving brother a poignant one, although beautiful, troubled, dream-girl Meg reads a little flat. It's tough-talking, reckless Dara who will intrigue readers. Her struggles with her father, her sexuality, and the dreams deferred because of her accident complement Otis' story, elevating this to a narrative as much about human connection as it is about sports.

While 16-year-old Otis Mueller-s teammate and self-proclaimed swim coach, Dara, wants to see him qualify for the Olympics, Otis is more interested in reconnecting with his first love, Meg, whom he hasn-t seen in three years. Meg-s parents- separation lands her back in Illinois, the scene of the accidental death of Otis-s younger brother, Mason, an incident Meg cannot overcome and Otis-s mother cannot forgive. Despite the mutual attraction between Otis and Meg, her PTSD and boyfriend keep the two in friend territory. When Dara-missing a partial limb after a shark attack, suffering from phantom limb pain, and uncertain about her sexuality-begins to act self-destructively, Otis has to decide who is most important to him, Meg or Dara. Garner-s debut sensitively portrays Meg and Otis-s bruised emotions, both recovering from deep loss. Though the description of Mason-s accident is a gut-punch in its realism, much of the plot unfolds predictably. The novel-s strongest moments go to Dara, whose no-holds-barred personality--she was the human equivalent of a Venus flytrap--livens and complicates the novel. Ages 14-up. Agent: Molly Jaffa, Folio Literary Management. (Sept.)

Loss can take many forms. For Dara, it is the loss of an arm to a shark. For Otis, the loss was his little brother, Mason, due to a terrible accident. This accident also separated Otis from his first girlfriend, Meg, who was taking care of Mason when he died. Otis has filled his days with swimming. Dara is his unofficial coach, a coach who is determined to make Otis an Olympic contender. But now things are changing once again. Meg is coming back to town. How much have Otis and Meg changed in the intervening years? Is there any hope that they might connect again? Or is this loss permanent, too?In her debut novel, Garner examines the depths of loss and despair. Ultimately, Dara and Otis and Meg come to realize that hope, though fragile, is present in celebration of the simple things in life. This novel could well have become maudlin, but the subtle and nuanced character development and the slow realization of how loss must be confronted create a believable and compelling read.Teri S. Lesesne.