DEDICATION
Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin
Atria Books
Fiction
ISBN-10: 141654013X
ISBN-13: 9781416540137

It's hard to know what to say about this new novel from the duo that brought us THE NANNY DIARIES and CITIZEN GIRL. There are three things that compete for my attention: first, a clichéd plot with several smaller clichéd subplots therein; second, an incredible eye for detail and ear for dialogue that make scenes sing; and third, a wholly unexpected ending that made me reconsider the rest of the book (don't worry, no spoilers ahead).

The main plot concerns Kate Hollis, who has come home to Croton Falls, Vermont, on extremely short notice just before the Christmas holidays because "he" is in town. The "he" in question is Jake, Kate's lifelong love and now a major music sensation whose recent engagement to an acting sensation named Eden Millay has raised his profile from high alert to fever pitch.

Kate stumbles into her childhood house only to find that her parents are in the process of selling it and moving to Florida. For reasons at this point still unclear to the reader, Kate's relations with them are strained and she wants to confront Jake. While the reasons for both are left deliberately vague, the impact is not equal, and that uneven plot terrain left me longing for a pair of figurative hiking boots. The back-and-forth between past and present contributed to the feeling of not being able to find a sure reading foothold.

However, the second thing about this book is Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin's surefootedness with the past. Their rendering of a late-'80s adolescence is perfect, complete with scrunchies, family room furnishings and belted blazers.

While their account of the present is a little less finely drawn (and that's ok), one of the things the authors get very right is the segue of high school friendships into adult acquaintance. It isn't easy to connect the gawky boy near the lockers with the paunchy dad by the minivan; they show not only that the connection is hard but that it can be made. This also goes for the conversations between those friends when they're kids and when they're grown-ups. Unlike some extended dialogue in novels that I tend to skim over quickly, I found myself entertained by Kate's back-and-forth with her friends. The affection there is palpable.

Less effective is the subplot about why Kate's parents are the way they are and why she relates to them the way she does. I never felt I truly understood why Kate's mother is so angry with Jake, and I don't think I would even if I re-read DEDICATION.

A few words about the ending, without spoiling anything: along with the weak parental subplot, there were quite a few sections of the novel I felt could have been cut significantly. Not so for the last couple of pages. There is something exactly right about them --- so right that I hope Kraus and McLaughlin's next book is really good. I'll be reading.

    --- Reviewed by Bethanne Kelly Patrick

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