Girlwood by Claire Dean

"The first and last kiss Polly received from her
sister was as contrary as Bree herself. Lightweight by intense, a kiss
that was supposed to impart some deep meaning but offer zero affection,
a kiss that was retracted nearly before it began. It was past midnight,
and Polly was not only too tired to open her eyes, she was so sick of
her stoned, skeletal, sixteen-year-old sister that she didn't even
acknowledge Bree was there." The next day it is discovered that Bree
has run away, and Polly isn't sure if her midnight memory is true or
only a dream. She also vaguely remembers Bree saying "I'll be somewhere
in the woods. Our
woods." When she mentions this to the police and her
mother, they smiled at her "the way adults often did, like she was
darling and ridiculous." But Polly knows what she saw and heard, and
knows that it's up to her to keep Bree alive through the coming winter.
Together with her friends, she uses the woods knowledge learned from
her grandmother to build a shelter and bring wild, edible plants to a
magical clearing. The woods are in danger, though. A developer has
obtained permission to clear cut and build on acres of the overgrown
landscape. Polly has to hope that enough will be left to sustain her
sister and keep their secrets.

This eloquent tale is rich and
evocative. Several plot lines twist and wind around each other like
vines, interweaving yet remaining separate. Class bullies, abuse,
addiction and growing up are all part of the story, yet none overpowers
the other. The story flows easily, and I became so caught up in the
story and the language that it was difficult to stop. I highly
recommend this book.