ALA Booklist

Stepsisters Diana and Stephanie have made progress, but when Stephanie's grandmother is hospitalized and Diana is suspended for fighting a bully, the holes in their patchy relationship threaten to grow wider. Oddly enough, it is the beaching of a pilot whale on the North Carolina coast that brings the two girls together and gives them a fresh awareness of their own weaknesses and empathy with each other. A bit heavier than others in the Sisters in All Seasons series, with its awareness of suffering and death on several levels, this title adds a satisfyingly thoughtful element.

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

After years of angst and adjustment, stepsisters Diana and Stephanie are finally growing closer. Their sisterly bond serves them well as they face greater challenges: a grandmother's illness, a brother's car accident, and parents' marital troubles. Although these concluding volumes continue to suffer from clunky dialogue, Kline's continued, consistently realistic attention to the emotional details of this blended family is admirable.

Kirkus Reviews

In the latest installment of this series following two very different stepsisters through the seasons, each brings unique gifts and deficits to the task of coping with tough life issues. It's Christmas, but holiday spirit is in short supply. A moment of anger gets Diana suspended from high school. Stephanie, who remembers her stepbrother Matt's drunken threats when she overheard him bragging about stealing beer, dreads encountering him during the obligatory visit to her mother. Then Matt's badly injured in a car accident, and Stephanie's grandmother is hospitalized with pancreatitis. The family heads to the North Carolina shore to care for her home and beloved dog, Jelly. When Jelly takes a dislike to Diana, she's devastated--her self-esteem is founded on her connection with animals--but discovering a beached pilot whale soon distracts her. Stephanie worries about Grammy Verra and feels guilty over wishing harm to Matt. Although both girls continue to seem younger than their stated ages, characterization remains a strong suit. Contrarian, courageous, empathy-challenged Diana struggles with a serious mood disorder. Compassionate, self-aware Stephanie is easily immobilized by anxiety. Demonstrating that less is more and showing trumps telling, the plight of endangered species and the gentle, inclusive message that faith can be an anchor in troubled times are implied, not hammered home. (Fiction. 10-16)

School Library Journal (Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Gr 7-9 Stepsisters Diana and Stephanie live with their recently married parents most of the time but go to their "other" families for weekend visits. Diana, who is having adjustment problems, is compared to Stephanie (the good girl) and resents it. But is Stephanie really the good girl, and why does she dislike her stepbrother Matt so vehemently? When he is involved in a serious automobile accident on Christmas and Stephanie's grandmother is also hospitalized, the girls are finally honest with each other and test their relationship. This bibliotheraputic dream come true will be appreciated by many readers, who will ask for other books in the series because they will want to know more about these believable characters. Kathy Lyday, South Caldwell High School, NC