I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend. I took a mini-vacation to the east coast and lost track of time. I didn't mean to fall off the radar with the blog. Please bear with me as I try to catch up on writing reviews. The first review is The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer.

Description: 12 years old Gabe lives with his Uncle Vernon, a Vietnam war veteran and Gabe's sole guardian. On one unexpected afternoon, Gabe discovers his uncle dead. He keeps Uncle Vernon's death a secret and tries to manage on his own. Gabe receives help from a mysterious, unseen well-wisher who communicates by notes in Gabe's mailbox. How did Uncle Vernon die? Who is this mysterious well-wisher?

Review: The Mailbox is an interesting book with an original premise and strong characters. While the book is mostly a character driven novel, it also does show how people are inter connected with one another. As Gabe mourns for his uncle and struggles to make his uncle proud, the readers get to know the strong and caring people surrounding him, and to see the enormous impact made by his uncle. Gabe learns to reach out to others for help as well as what it means to have a best friend. Horrifying glimpses of the Vietnam War and its aftermath are also discussed. My biggest problem with the book is that it moves very slowly. Although it less than 200 pages, it took me days to read it because I kept putting it down and getting bored with the story. The book finally picked up for me in the last 10 chapters when the mysterious well wisher's identity is finally revealed. Nevertheless, The Mailbox shows us how we impact each others lives even though it may not seem like it.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is mild language and some disturbing images in the book. Recommended to Grades 5 and up.

If you like this book try: Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor