The writing was good, but I just couldn't get into it. This just isn't a good fit for my library. The grief is too mature for my elementary students.

Purchased this title for my ya/middle grade library collection. Authentic, heart wrenching and inspiring story of grief and continuing to live.

Beautiful illustrations, a melancholy look at friendship, family and loss that will be perfect for the kiddo who's looking for "a sad book." They hit this stage somewhere between Bridge to Terabithia and Where the Red Fern Grows; that knowledge that books can really make them *feel* things. Suddenly there's a large group of kids who want the saddest things I have to offer, and this will fit the bill perfectly. It captures all the angst of the middle grades, with a rainy backdrop and sharks/shark phobias for that little extra bit of oomph. I loved it for perhaps more grownup reasons, but I know why the kids will pass this around. A good read that was an easy preorder for my library.

This was a gorgeous novel, plain and simple. Dealing with grief, healing, perseverance, and the power that resides in each person to make it through the struggles of life. Cannot recommend highly enough, to everyone.

The book was a bit long for middle grade. But it dealt with grief in a way that is easy to read. I love how much nature was almost a separate character in the story. Great for kids who love science, and who don't mind a slow starter.

Students in my middle school library LOVE this cover, but some are a little bit scared of how big this book is, until I tell them how much I loved it. Although a bit long for most middle schoolers, it is a very good and important read. Big readers pick this up right away, and some need some encouragement, but this is still a popular book in my library.

This is my kind of book! Realistic fiction, full of grief and hope... it is very much like The Thing About Jellyfish, The Benefits of Being an Octopus, and Coyote Sunrise.
Lucy and Fred are (almost more than) best friends living in Massachusetts near the ocean, where Lucy's mom was a biologist before she died suddenly. It had been a few years, and Lucy was coping well until Fred died in a popular swimming hole (after the friends drank alcohol with Fred's older siblings). The way Lucy copes with the aftermath was very sweet, and the supporting characters in the book are all lovely.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

A beautiful and heart-wrenching book on grief, friendship, and family. (and sharks!) I loved it even more because it takes place locally to me on the North Shore of MA.

Lucy's grief over losing her mother and learning about her dedication to shark research made up her whole summer before turning 13. When another tragedy strikes, Lucy is sent back into grief and it takes an unusual family support system to help her adapt and adjust.

The parts of the shark anatomy will be interesting to readers who love science or oceanography, they were described as if coming from a marine biologist. Lucy's mom was a talented biologist who died before her proposal to track seals on Cape Cod was brought to action. Lots of details during some parts as Lucy's sketches came to life. For Grades 6+

Lucy and Fred are working on a Field Guide during their summer vacation. They write up any animals they encounter. When a white shark is caught in a fisherman's nets they decide to include it. The shark leads them to Lucy's mom who was a marine biologist and died several years ago. She was an expert on sharks and had many papers for them to refer to. Then tragedy strikes Lucy's young life for a second time. She is left on her own and turns to the sharks in her grief. She follows the trail laid down in her mom's last research paper. She is aided by her dad, her elderly neighbor and her fisherman friend.

I enjoyed Lucy's story but it was terribly sad and tragic, probably overly so for a middle grade book. It was also really long with a lot of detail that could have been consolidated. Young readers like a bit more concise story and this one meandered. I don't think the second tragedy of Lucy's life was really necessary. I think she could have gone on her journey to discover her mom's work without that motivation. There seems to be a trend of tragedy in realistic fiction for middle grade right now and I think it could end any time soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book will tug at your heart.
In it, a community deals with life and loss and they come to understand how they must work together and form meaningful relationships. Their interaction with the sharks and what they learn about them confirms what they already know. We must respect and care for one another.

"All life is interconnected. If one species moves away or becomes extinct, the order shifts," Said Vern. "What happens in the ocean, affects the life on land."

Lucy is the daughter of a shark biologist who died 5 years ago. The grief isn't quite raw still, but there is a gaping hole in her life. Her father does his best but it seems like he's still stuck in his own grief. Lucy spends her days biking around with her best friend Fred who lives next door. It's the 90s, so there is a good chunk of freedom and no cell phones in this beach side town in Massachusetts. And then, there's a drinking scene at the quarry and something bad happens, and Lucy has to struggle through to deal with everything.

The way I wrote it there, it makes it less of a surprise, which was part of this plot twist's strength. But what it also sounds like is a "lesson" story. Don't go drink by the quarry! Lots of anger from parents. Instead, it's more about grief and leaning to live and love the people near you, even if they are a bunch of adult men that Lucy knows and has in her life. Mr. Patterson, the elderly neighbor, is a really fantastic character and has a lot going on. No one in this book is one note, and even though there's not a ton of characters, I'm grateful.

This book tore my heart out but then told me how to mend it, and showed me how the characters found their own way through grief--in a lot of ways, they do touch on a lot of death in this book.

The Line Tender is a deep exploration of grief from the perspective of a 13 year old girl. As Lucy navigates a tough summer, she finds inner strength to continue after the unthinkable with the help of her neighbors, nature, and friends. This is a poignant, moving story about the quiet moments in everyday life, but tinged with grief. Lucy is a strong, realistic character that you hope finds happiness and peace. I loved that she has strong, adult males in her life who are there to help her through the summer and show their own weaknesses and emotions. This is a rare middle grade book that tackles a tough subject with a soft touch. Highly recommend.

**I received an e-ARC from Netgalley**

In Kate Allen’s lyrical novel, The Line Tender, budding middle school artist Lucy Everhart experiences a summer of discovery and loss in her seaside Massachusetts town. When the story opens, Lucy and her best friend Fred are abuzz over a fisherman landing a Great White Shark, rarely seen in their waters. The pair is working on an extra-credit science project, a field guide of wildlife in their area, and the shark will be an exciting addition.

But there’s a deeper wrinkle to these events. Lucy’s mom, a marine biologist who died when her daughter was seven, had specialized in sharks, and was working on funding an important shark study just before she died. As a way of better understanding her departed mother and dealing with that loss, Lucy turns her attention on sharks and her mother’s study. But before she and Fred can get too far with it, tragedy strikes again.

Some older kids, including Fred’s sister, invite Lucy and Fred on a moonlight swim in an abandoned quarry. Alcohol is passed around, and before you know it, Fred dives down… and doesn’t resurface. Rescue divers, including Lucy’s father, search the murky quarry, but Mr. Everhart finds Fred too late, injuring himself in an effort to free the boy’s body from underwater snags.

Again, Lucy plunges into the depths of sorrow. Fred was more than her best friend; she was starting to experience romantic feelings toward him — and as she learns from her neighbor, Mr. Patterson, Fred was feeling the same way toward her. Unable to swallow easily as a result of her grief and shock, Lucy loses weight and writes postcards to her dead friend, trying to come to terms with her loss. Slowly, she begins to reach out, getting support from Mr. Patterson, a school counselor, and Fred’s sister, as Lucy navigates her way through grief.

Through it all, she continues to try to understand her mom’s research project, which leads to new maritime adventures, new friendships forged, and a new understanding of herself, Fred, and her mother.

This story sneaks up on you as it ambles through its twists and turns, until by the end it wields a true emotional wallop. Lucy and Fred make for believable, sympathetic heroes, and Lucy’s realizations about sharks, her mother, and herself will resonate with readers long after the book’s cover closes.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Life for twelve year old Lucy Everhart hasn't been easy. Her mother died suddenly while researching great white sharks when Lucy was eight. Lucy had to deal with getting her period on her own, and she doesn't know the first thing about boys. With the love of a few neighbors like Mr. Patterson and Fred's family, Lucy and her father have gotten by. Looking forward to summer, Lucy and Fred tackle an extra credit field guide project for school. Fred is in charge of the research, and Lucy is in charge of the art. Together, they travel around their small Rockport, MA coastal town recording specimens. When a Great White is found in the harbor, Lucy and Fred turn back to her mother's research to learn more. Tragedy strikes Lucy's life once again, though, and she must learn how to wade through another sudden loss. Lucy may have lost her mom years ago, but she has a lot to learn about herself and her mother's research to help her move forward.

THOUGHTS: This touching middle grade novel will reach a variety of readers. Hand it to fans of emotional, realistic works and students interested in science and marine life.

Lovely book! Entwining great whites with the grieving process was a new twist. It was definitely a “hanky” page turner. It won’t be for everyone but there will be those that will love it, like me!

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet and melancholy and full of shark facts. I can see students going along this story and learning about relationships and the importance of trying again and remaining curious about life.

It’s important to note this one has death involved when you’re passing it on to students (nothing gory, just worth knowing).

One note I’ll make for me as an adult who reads a bunch of middle grade lit—- this was a bit disappointing. Maybe it was the mood I was in, but I would give it 3/3.5 stars. I think perhaps I shouldn’t have read all of the rave reviews. I also think the believability flopped at times and the characters needed a bit more oomph for me. I did appreciate the MC’s Dad character and her best friends’ mom felt like a real human too. I also appreciated the excitement around science and the environment.

While quiet books and books that allow readers to explore serious themes are important, I feel like this book misses the mark in both cases. The plot is not engaging enough to draw readers in so they can follow the main character on her journey of self-discovery. I would caution sensitive readers against reading this book without someone available to speak with in order to process their emotions. Overall, this book is simply too sad and too slow to engage the average middle grade reader.

During the summer of her 12th year, Lucy and her friend Jeff are amazed when a local sailor catches a great white shark. Lucy immediately thinks of her mother, a marine biologist who died five years earlier. Spurred by the memory of her mother, Lucy tries to learn as much as she can about the shark. When Jeff dies in a tragic accident, Lucy once again feels the pain of losing someone she loves.

Although I found this book to be a bit slow moving, I think it will be perfect for pre-teens and middle school children. Lucy was very likeable and relatable. The characters seemed realistic, and the book was a good blend of storytelling and information about sharks. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

Beautifully written heartwarming story. Loved this book! I will be recommending this one.********************