Book Review: Fixing Delilah

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition. Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful fast. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

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I haven't read Sarah Ockler's first novel Twenty Boy Summer so I didn't really know what to expect from Fixing Delilah. I figured it would probably be just another run-of-the-mill contemporary novel that I would read and then forgot about a few weeks later. Not so! I LOVED this book. Everything about it was so amazing from the characters to the story itself. Fixing Delilah definitely reminded me of a Sarah Dessen book in the way that it was so honest about life and love. Its actually quite funny because I was thinking while reading it "Wow this reminds me of Sarah Dessen's books!" and then I looked at the back cover flap of the book and there was a quote from a review of Twenty Boy Summer and it said "Will satisfy fans of Sarah Dessen" and I was like Ha! Yes! So if you like Sarah Dessen I strongly urge you to pick this book up!

The thing I loved most about Fixing Delilah was the honesty of the characters. They felt SO REAL. And not only that but I really felt a connection to them. Especially Delilah. My family doesn't have any hidden secrets like hers does but I was still able to understand what she was going through. It would have been really easy for Delilah to go down the path of being the whiny protagonist but Sarah Ockler succeeded in making me feel empathy for her. Sure she had made mistakes, but honestly who wouldn't have in her situation? The point wasn't the mistakes she had made, but the lessons that she learned in order to change her life for the better. Delilah's character development was one of the strongest points of the novel. While I loved Delilah's transformation I have to say that overall my favorite character would have to be Patrick just because he's so perfect. I feel like I've been saying this about every literary guy lately but seriously. Patrick is great. AND he's a musician. Who doesn't want a guy who can sing to you, am I right? I absolutely adored this one quote from the book that Patrick says:

 "Delilah?" He's even closer now, whispers falling on my skin like feathers as his fingers trace my eyebrows. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

*swoon* Okay so I know that I've said that I'm not into romance and romantic things but I'm not gonna lie, I've always wanted a guy to tell me that I'm beautiful. That quote up there is pretty much my dream come true! Just saying.

Fixing Delilah tackled some pretty tough issues. Family secrets, mental illness, and emotional healing, and forgiveness were all big topics. Sarah Ockler was able to approach these topics without making them seem cheesy or over emotional. The forgiveness and reconciliation was written especially beautifully. Gahhh this book was just so amazing!

I give Fixing Delilah 5 out of 5 cupcakes!

If you're a fan of Sarah Dessen, or just love books that are emotionally beautiful then pick up Fixing Delilah! You won't regret it. Now I most definitely have to get Twenty Boy Summer from the Library. I can hardly wait to read more from Sarah Ockler!

5 Words to Describe this Book
Family secrets, emotional healing, beautiful.

Julia :)