Just Like That

 By Gary D. Schmidt

Junior Fiction

Reviewed by Charlize from the Miami Brach

    Just Like That tells the stories of Meryl Lee Kowalski and Matt Coffin.

    After a personal tragedy, Meryl Lee (a character you might remember from Schmidt's Newberry Honour book The Wednesday Wars) moves to the St. Elene's Preparatory Academy for Girls boarding school.  Troubled with snobbish classmates, difficult teachers and family issues, Meryl Lee finds her life uprooted.

    Running from a mobster from his past, Matt Coffin winds up on the coast of Maine near St. Elene's.  Through the help of the kindly Mrs. Nora MacKnockater, Matt begins to feel like he has a home.

    Through circumstances that surprise them both, Meryl Lee and Matt find themselves becoming friends, healing from past wounds and bringing the community of St. Elene's together.

    Just Like That is another admirable companion to The Wednesday Wars.  It is poignant, thought provoking and well written.  As in Gary D. Schmidt's other books, I enjoyed the character arcs, inclusion of characters from Schmidt's other books and the 1960's/Vietnam War era setting.

    I would highly recommend Just Like That, The Wednesday Wars and Okay For Now, another companion to The Wednesday Wars.

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