3.5 stars

Delilah’s mother Claire is obsessed with her job and has very little time to spend with her only daughter, which means that Delilah spends many nights home alone eating carry out with only the voices from the tv to keep her company. Then one day Claire gets a call from her sister Rachel informing her that their mother, whom Claire hasn’t spoken to in eight years, has passed away. Delilah and Claire quickly pack up and head for her grandparents’ home in Red Falls, Vermont – the place where they had spent every summer until Delilah’s grandfather died and her mother and grandmother had the fight that they never got over.

Delilah’s been in Red Falls less than twenty-four hours when she reconnects with her childhood playmate Patrick aka “Little Ricky,” who has grown up a lot in the eight years since she’s seen him. They quickly become friends again, and Delilah confides in Patrick when she discovers her Aunt Stephanie’s diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her bedroom. Delilah knows that Stephanie died of a heart condition when she was only 18, but she doesn’t know anything else about her. As she reads the diary, the mysteries behind who Stephanie was and what caused her death begin to unravel, and Delilah realizes that in order to fix the problems she is having with her mother, she will have to force her to confront what happened in her past.

Delilah is a realistic character whose growth and development over the course of the book will satisfy readers. The supporting characters are interesting and believable, and the author’s description of the quaint town of Red Falls will make readers wish that they could spend the summer there. The Hannaford family has experienced problems that many readers will be able to relate to, and Ockler’s message about how relationships can be repaired is a hopeful one. Fixing Delilah is a great mixture of family drama, mystery and romance - all the ingredients for great realistic teen fiction. It is sure to be a hit with teen girls, especially fans of Sarah Dessen.