Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A heartwarming and at times heartbreaking YA novel which kept me captivated throughout. The wonderfully detailed description narrative transported me back to the summer of 1976, making me feel immersed in the story. Twelve year old Scoob is a musical prodigy who dreams of becoming a jazz legend. Having lost her parents her older brother RC looks after her, but they have ended up on the streets and don’t even have money for food. Just as Scoob gets a paying gig and a chance of getting the attention of a famous band leader on tv, RC drags her off on a mysterious road trip. The siblings find themselves stuck in the small town of Rexburg, Idaho.
Within the idyllic farming community the residents are divided over the safety of a newly built dam. Meanwhile the well-meaning locals want to help Scoob and RC, but she just wants to return home and to her audition. Scoob is heartbroken when she learns that RC has not been honest with her. She decides to return home on her own, but then the dam springs a leak. Soon a wall of water is heading for the town destroying everything in its path. As Scoob fights for her life she has to decide what really matters to her. This story literally took me on an emotional rollercoaster and I found it was a real page turner.

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