This Is the Story of You by Beth Kephart

I'd recommend This is the Story of You to readers of all ages. 'A great blue heron sauntered over the keys of the piano.' The monsters of the sea were out there churning.' The window boxes beneath the front bay window complained. The dune planks rattled when the breeze kicked in. 'The birds were flying closer still and the tide was high and feisty, the foam shearing loose from the sea and bouncing down the shoreline. The narrative language was as rhythmic and balladic as a campfire song:

What was special about this environmental thriller was the literary style. There were lots of useful survival tips too. Still, this harrowing tale was quite believable in our world threatened by climate change. My only criticism is her Story would have felt more realistic if some of the characters had acted selfishly or tried to benefit from others' losses. As a survivor myself of an ocean storm that flooded an island (No Name of 1991), I could relate too well to this story.Īlthough the storm results in tragedy, Kephart's outlook on humanity is sunny. I read most of the book in one afternoon, flipping the pages anxiously and shivering as a storm raged outside my own house. It's more plot-driven and faster paced with the storm acting like a character in itself, a merciless antagonist threatening Mira and her friends. Of the eight books I've read by Beth Kephart, This Is the Story of You is the most accessible to a general audience. If that weren't scary enough, a mysterious intruder is lurking outside, and without power or cellular service, Mira can't call for help. As the storm rages and the sea floods their beachside cottage, Mira must decide what to save and how to stay alive. Earlier that day, her single mom had driven her disabled brother to the mainland hospital for emergency treatment. When a storm cuts off an island from the Jersey Shore, 17-year-old Mira must fight for survival with only a stray cat for company.

This is a Story of You is a modern parable of the horrors of climate change. Her evocative settings transport the reader to another world. Well-developed adult characters make her books cross over easily to grown ups too. In literary prose Kephart explores real world issues through complex characters and surreal imagery. Beth Kephart is one of my favorite young adult authors because her sophisticated writing challenges teens to think for themselves.

This Is the Story of You by Beth Kephart