With a Name Like Love

Title: With a Name Like Love

 

Author: Tess Hilmo

 

Summary: 13 year old Olivene "Ollie" Love, daughter of the Reverend Everlasting Love, travels by trailer around the country in 1957 with her mother, father, and her 4 younger sisters preaching to towns. Ollie is tired of moving on from each town, homeschooling with her sisters and not living in an actual house, but she doesn't think anything of the town, Binder that they stop in for a few days. But during a quick trip to the general store, she meets a boy, Jimmy Koppel who has a lot more mystery to him than any outsider would think. His father was murdered and his mother was wrongfully jailed for it.

Ollie and Jimmy become close and Ollie does everything she can to try and uncover who really murdered Jimmy's abusive father.

 

Comments: I loved this book. I believe I especially liked it because I was so easily able to relate to Ollie. I too am the oldest of my sisters, I am homeschooled, my family has quite similar Christian values, and I am 13 years of age as well.

The characters in this book are all likeable and I really enjoyed the writing. I felt that there was a slight romance between Ollie and Jimmy, but it wasn't overplayed and it was all very subtle and left for the reader to interpret in their own way. The mystery in this book made for a great storyline, and the mystery didn't take up the whole story.

I do feel like the book kind of justified the murder of Jimmy's father because of the abusive person he was. Some could disagree with this; however it was not outright said; it could just be interpreted this way.

Ollie is a good example; she wanted to get what she desired, yet not if it meant the others around her not being happy. She was also a good role model for older sisters everywhere.

The book is not predictable (or it wasn't for me anyway, and I read mysteries regularly).

I'd recommend this book for 10+ because the descriptions of Jimmy's father's abusive ways could be disturbing to young children.  

 

Complaints: None.

 

Rating: 5 stars