Courtenay Schurman

One of the most powerful, emotional, and original middle-grade books I've read. Jimmy is given the responsibility of talking about his cousin at his funeral, and author Adam Schmitt jumps between describing the day of the wake (and Jimmy's reaction to family around him, including trying desperately to find something nice to say about his cousin) alternating with memories of his cousin Patrick, who he's never gotten along with, through stories of the Fourth of July, junior engineers, carpentry club, smashing pennies on a railroad track. I could feel my reaction to Patrick changing subtly as the vignettes progressed, until Jimmy finally has to get up in front of the congregation and say something about this creative, overactive, never-listened-to boy who is no longer among them. I laughed, I sobbed, I gave it five stars. You can bet I'll look for more by this author. What an exhausting emotional journey! MORE!