The House at 758

Gr 6 Up—Krista lives with her father who has recently let his new girlfriend move into their home. Krista's mother died two years ago, and she is stuck in a debilitating funk from which she cannot find her way out. The only way she feels control is through her constant surveillance of the house at 758. Her self-destruction leads her to an unexpected friendship with the local football celebrity Jake, but she still obsesses over what she can never get back. It is only when her Venezuelan maternal grandfather visits that she is pulled back to reality and can truly find a way toward forgiveness and acceptance. This was a wonderful story about life's struggles and not only forgiving others for unfortunate mistakes, but forgiving one's self. The slim novel starts off slow but Berla finds a rhythm toward the middle of the story, and it unfolds beautifully into a tale that teens and tweens will enjoy.