Seven Clues to Home; by Gae Polisner (review)

Joy’s best friend, Lukas, died on her twelfth birthday; now it’s her thirteenth birthday and she’s overcome with grief for his loss. She still has the first envelope from the Birthday Scavenger Hunt he had set her last year, so she decides to follow the clues, hoping that they’re still in place and that they bring her something of Lukas. Alternating with Joy’s narration are chapters from Lukas’ point of view on the day of his death as he sets the scavenger hunt clues and considers how his feelings toward Joy have ripened into love. It’s a catchy premise, and Polisner and Baskin write smoothly, making the kids’ small beach town a vivid setting as they each roam the place on their scavenger mission. The device overwhelms the characters and story, though, with Joy and much of the town seemingly frozen in time for the year since Lukas’ death, and neither Joy nor Lukas evince much personality beyond their devotion to each other. Allen’s The Line Tender (BCCB 4/19) is a more effective book about a similar friendship loss, but the affecting concept, interwoven narratives, and dramatic what-if here may still grab readers.