I really enjoyed this book! It was a page-turner with characters that I fell in love with. I could't put it down! ( )

When Shelby and her rag tag group of friends befriend the "new girl" they have no idea what the consequences are going to be. The new girl is from Sri-Lanka, the time is 1979, and the setting is a small town in Appalachia--a town where racial prejudice still runs high. I enjoyed the story well enough but it never really grabbed me, despite the tension of a love triangle between the new girl and two of Shelby's friends and the danger that they find themselves in when the bigots make them a target. A great premise but for some reason--the characters not being well developed enough or the prose not exciting enough--it just felt kind of flat to me. ( )

When a Sri Lankan family moves to all-white Pisgah Ridge in the Appalachian region, Shelby invites the daughter Farsanna to be part of the Pack she hangs out with (consisting of her brother and his friends). Not everyone in town is happy to have this family in town. Racial tensions run high and come to an explosive head. Shelby learns a lot about herself this summer and about the townspeople she thought she knew.

This novel, set in the 1970s, is inspired by true events from the author's childhood. As a result, I came to know the characters in depth was invested in their story. The story is powerful, heart-breaking, and eye opening. Jordan-Lake hooked me from page one with her fast-paced, first person narrative and vivid language.

This book evoked a lot of emotions in me and I highly recommend it to those seeking a good coming of age story. ( )

Blue Hole Back Home begins in 1979 with five high school friends embarking on their summer vacation just as a Sri Lankan family, who seek a better life in the United States, moves into their small, white, mountain community, which overlooks integrated town in the valley. Although tentative, the teens extend a bit of Southern hospitality toward Sanna, the teen. Ultimately this leads to the realization that it might not be "safe" to befriend their new neighbor, and that some of the their parents, friends, and townspeople might be hypocrites about integration. Racism, which had been dormant for a few years, bubbles to the surface in the form of late night hate crimes, perpetrated by people wearing old sheets.
As events rise to a devastating crescendo, the author weaves a tale, which beautifully describes the twists and turns of the mountain hangouts and its inhabitants. I finished it today, January1, 2009, and it will be one of those books that I will still be thinking about at the end of the year. ( )