Unraveling Isobel, by Eileen Cook

Haunted house on an island. There's a trope that never gets old. And even if it could, Eileen Cook would be able to shake it up. I went looking for another Cook novel after being pleasantly surprised by The Education of Hailey Kendrick (surprised because I don't usually enjoy realistic "I'm having problems with my social life" novels, but this one really worked for me). Unraveling Isobel sounded like it had the potential to be a fun ghost story (and I was in ghost mode after In the Shadow of Blackbirds and The Time of the Ghost).

The opening hooked me:

When the minister asked if anyone knew any reason why these two shouldn't be married, I should have said something. I could think of at least five reasons off the top of my head why my mom shouldn't have married Richard Wickham.

We've got a potentially evil stepfather ('cause he's a stepfather: they're always potentially evil), a good-looking but brooding stepbrother, and the mystery of what happened to the first wife and daughter. Plus the rumours about the big house they're moving into being haunted. And the west wing of the house is closed (cue Twilight Zone theme).  It's all there, and Cook does fun things with it.

She's a very funny writer. There are spooky bits, and a great spooky twist, but this is a lighthearted, laugh-out loud book. It also managed to deal sensitively with a number of issues, like having a disabled sister, what to think when you have a parent with a mental illness, whether to completely suppress your personality and join the cheerleading squad just to fit in. And whether it's okay to make out with your stepbrother. (Not such a serious issue, I suppose! But you never know: it might come up!)

Unraveling Isobel is Mayan Hot Chocolate: rich and creamy with a spicy kick (depending on where you get it, could be cinnamon, could be cayenne).

I am proud to say Eileen Cook is not only Canadian, but Vancouverian. For more Canadian books, John Mutford has a great blog and a challenge. This is my fourth Canadian book I've reviewed since last July 1. I've got to triple my efforts to reach 13 by June 30!

The Education of Hailey Kendrick, by Eileen Cook

It's past time for another Canadian pick! (Full disclosure: I have met Eileen Cook (I took a writing course from her), and she is kind, funny, and down-to-earth. But it's not like she would even recognize me if she saw me again, so this review isn't biased by me trying to be nice to her or anything.)

One of the reasons I don't often read realistic teenager-having-social-problems novels is that I hate embarrassment. Obviously everyone hates being embarrassed, but from all the tv and book plots that use it, I have to assume that people enjoy watching other people be embarrassed. I don't. I hate it.

There are lots of potentially embarrassing moments in The Education of Hailey Kendrick, and I kept cringing as I turned the pages, waiting for the humiliation to heap up, but Cook kept surprising me. She sets Hailey up for all kinds of falls (some of them literal), but then the characters respond in atypical ways--complex, realistic, interesting ways, so that I was drawn more and more into the story instead of wanting to run away.

It's also really funny. Cook has a stand-up comedienne's insight into human psychology. She has all the typical character types: jock, it girl, charming guy, outsider--but then she subverts them by giving them all real motivations and emotions and making us care about them all, even the ones we don't like. The setting is a super-privileged boarding school, so it has a bit of Gossip Girl voyeurism, but, again, the characters are so real that they don't follow any of the rules for the typical rich kids plot. And Hailey's "education" is a true journey. At the beginning she thinks she has it all figured out, thinks she knows the rules and if she follows them she'll get what she wants, but then she breaks some rules, and when everything crashes down on her she realizes how flimsy it all is, and how much more is out there, "outside the lines."

It's a fun, light read that gave me far more than I was expecting. I read this one because I'd met the author; I'll read the next one because this one was so good. Strawberry peach scones from the Black Bean Roasting Company in Gibson's Landing. (Best scones anywhere.)

This is my (hang on, I have to stop and count . . .)(oh. dear.) third Canadian book this year. Yikes. Once again I am sadly behind in the Canadian Book Challenge. Go see John Mutford's blog to find lots of other bloggers who have way more Canadian books for you to try!