Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Losing Gabriel by Lurlene McDaniel - OPTIONAL

McDaniel, Lurlene Losing Gabriel...a love story, 317 pages. Delacorte Press, 2016. $17.99. Language: PG-13 (38 swears, 0 'F'); Mature Content: R (sex, drinking, drugs); Violence: PG.

Sloan and Dawson were just in a typical teenage relationship when Sloan gets pregnant and is not ready to face the challenges of motherhood. After she skips town, Dawson is left to raise his son, Gabriel, with just the help of his father and eventually Lani--a local nursing student who hires on to be the child's caretaker. The three eventually find their lives intertwining in new and unexpected ways--with Gabriel at the heart of it all. When the boy faces a life-threatening medical emergency, lives will be changed once again and never be the same. 

In "Gabriel," McDaniel has written yet another teenage romance that involves death. The story follows a fairly cliche romance novel pattern, but the actual elements feel unique enough to make it a good read. There is a bit of on-page sex in the first part of the book, but things get fairly chaste by the midpoint. I found much of the story predictable but liked it enough to keep reading. 

HS--OPTIONAL. Reviewer: TC

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