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Fixing Delilah

Sarah Ockler (Goodreads Author)

3.81 · Rating details · 7,745 ratings · 662 reviews

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romanc ...more

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Hardcover, 308 pages

Published December 1st 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Jan 20, 2012 Reynje rated it liked it · review of another edition

The hardest thing for me to say about a book is that I felt indifferent to it.

Well, scrap that. It’s easy to say. “I feel indifferent about this book.” There, done.

What’s difficult is articulating why. When a book hasn’t evoked any particularly strong feeling, positive or negative, I find myself staring at my keyboard with nothing much to say. Except things like “nice”, “okay”, “fine” – which make for an extremely dull review.

And Fixing Delilah was those things: nice, okay, fine. I don’t harb The hardest thing for me to say about a book is that I felt indifferent to it.

Well, scrap that. It’s easy to say. “I feel indifferent about this book.” There, done.

What’s difficult is articulating why. When a book hasn’t evoked any particularly strong feeling, positive or negative, I find myself staring at my keyboard with nothing much to say. Except things like “nice”, “okay”, “fine” – which make for an extremely dull review.

And Fixing Delilah was those things: nice, okay, fine. I don’t harbour negative feelings towards it. I didn’t want to fling it down mid-read in irritation. There was simply no emotional investment for me in the book, and therefore no real payoff upon finishing it.

Ockler’s writing is excellent. Slightly lyrical, but with a crisp, witty edge, and she injects some wry humour into her teenage-girl-and-family-secrets story. However the sharp one-liners feel weighed down by the ponderous pacing, and Delilah’s voice is blunted by a plot so stretched out, it loses much of its tension.

Despite this, I enjoyed the characterisation of Delilah, and felt that Ockler had created a believable (if somewhat predictable) arc to her story. Delilah’s response to strained family relationships, and the gradual unearthing of long-hidden secrets, were authentic. Possibly the strongest element of the story was Delilah’s resultant anger and attempts to push people away when she perceives them to have let her down. In that sense, I found her emotional reactions realistic and well portrayed.

On the other hand, the greatest weakness for me lay in the plot itself and the cast of characters, which seemed formulaic. The organised, business-like sister and the free-spirit sister. The boy meets girl, girl loses boy angst. I found this rang a little hollow, the tropes a little too familiar for me to muster much engagement in them.

As a lover of contemporary YA, this just lacked the rawness I look for, the strong, compelling thread of tension.

Ultimately, I felt disappointed with Fixing Delilah. Not because it’s a bad book, because it isn’t. It’s well written and the premise is interesting. But because it failed to leave a strong impression. Because I found myself having to resist the urge to skim. Because I probably won’t think about it again now that I’ve closed it. And it’s this lack of impact, either good or bad, that is difficult to express.

Fingers crossed that this won’t be the case for Twenty Boy Summer.
...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Cara rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, realistic-fiction

I love to read about things that I can relate to because I feel like it's someone validating my experience in life. I guess I had the urge to read something like this. Though this really doesn't relate to my personal experience I know it will speak some truth to others who had to grow up without a father or mother, and have to figure out why things have to be always so hard?

Delilah has hit a pretty sucky time in her life. Her mom is always working and doesn't seem to have time to answer Delilah' I love to read about things that I can relate to because I feel like it's someone validating my experience in life. I guess I had the urge to read something like this. Though this really doesn't relate to my personal experience I know it will speak some truth to others who had to grow up without a father or mother, and have to figure out why things have to be always so hard?

Delilah has hit a pretty sucky time in her life. Her mom is always working and doesn't seem to have time to answer Delilah's questions. As of late her grades are slipping, she has a "non-boyfriend", she no longer has any real friends, and to boot she accidentally stole some lipstick. Needless to say her life at the moment doesn't feel magical. Her summer plans change drastically when her mother announces that her grandmother just died and that they are going to spend the summer in Vermont. They haven't been there for eight years and there are some skeletons in the closet to deal with when they get there.

I absolutely adored all the characters. I felt like I was there with them, and that they were showing their true selves to me. I can feel Delilah's frustration at her mom for keeping secrets. The dynamic between her mom and aunt was pitch perfect. Not a perfect relationship, and one with lots of tension but that's how real relationships are like. They are broken but try to build back bridges while they are in the home where they grew up together. There were so many things involved in this story, but I want to keep quiet and promote to read this book. Though I could guess what the secret was, it is a juicy one and the real foundation of the book is Delilah's life changing summer. Delilah learns about her heritage, her family, and how to fall in love.

The last couple of weeks have been kind of hectic for me. Nothing bad, just busy and I was thinking of how I didn't have enough time to read and wondered why it was so important to me. I never thought I read to escape, but in a sense that rings true. For a little while I want to read about someone else's struggles and problems. I want to root for somebody else, and see things from a perspective other than my own. This book definitely offered that and that's a mark of excellent storytelling. ...more

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Jun 14, 2010 Nic rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of Twenty Boy Summer, The Sky Is Everywhere

Shelves: romance-awww, realistic-fiction, young-adult, swoon-worthy-read, read-in-2011

Favourite Quote: "That thing in my chest lurches sideways and I take a deep breath, count to ten and bury it, way down deep."

If I had to use one word to describe this story it would be GORGEOUS. From the writing to the characters to the plot, everything about this book is absolutely gorgeous.

Fixing Delilah is a story of a mother and a daughter who are lost from each other and a family that is hiding secrets. It it a story about finding yourself and reconnecting with the ones you love.

I have been Favourite Quote: "That thing in my chest lurches sideways and I take a deep breath, count to ten and bury it, way down deep."

If I had to use one word to describe this story it would be GORGEOUS. From the writing to the characters to the plot, everything about this book is absolutely gorgeous.

Fixing Delilah is a story of a mother and a daughter who are lost from each other and a family that is hiding secrets. It it a story about finding yourself and reconnecting with the ones you love.

I have been dying to read this as I love Twenty Boy Summer and I knew that I could count on another book full of alluring writing and I wasn't disappointed. Again, I was stuck trying to pick just one quote as Ockler really has a way with words. She has an eye for details, can captures emotions perfectly and has a way of making everything sound beautiful. It is an emotional read but not quite to the same extent as Twenty Boy Summer which made me cry.

What drives this story is the characters. Delilah is someone that I can understand. She acts reckless and feels like she doesn't know who she is anymore. She has a witty but always heartfelt voice. She is character that grows and changes as the story goes on and it is wonderful to watch.

There is also a distinctive and just as strong bunch of secondary characters that play an important part of the story especially Delilah's family. And it was nice to read a story for a change that family was the main focus.

However the romance that is in the book is delicious. Patrick is the boy next door, who can sing, plays guitar and works for his Dad's constructions business during the summer (which means a few swoon worthy shirtless scenes). Patrick and Delilah had some really sweet and tender moments together (and some hot and steamy moments too) like this:

"He lifts my chin until our eyes meet and his lips brush over mine, soft at first, dandelion seeds blown against my mouth like a wish, and then....completely. Hungry. Suffocating and desperate and I don't want it to stop. I've never been kissed liked this before - not by Finn or the celebrity crushes in my head. Not even in my craziest dreams."

Overall, Fixing Delilah is another outstanding story from one of my favourite writers.

...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Danielle (Love at First Page) rated it really liked it

Shelves: pretty-writing, genre-young-adult, contemporary, favorites-young-adult, read-in-2015, own-kindle-book

There's a reason Sarah Ockler is one of my favorite authors. After loving both The Book of Broken Hearts and The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, I have no idea why I waited so long to read Fixing Delilah, but it's just about as amazing as those two. For one, Sarah's writing is utterly gorgeous. She has a way with words that sucks me right into her stories and pulls me along effortlessly. I could read them forever. Her characters are always wonderful, too. Delilah is a girl my heart immediately conne ...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Sophia. rated it it was ok

Shelves: brothers-and-sisters, suicide, too-much-drama, cliche-love-story, death, ridiculous-guy, so-very-weak, what-s-the-point, depression, yawn-booring

Beeen there, ~~done~~ read that. It's so cliché and déjà vu, it kinda hurt my eyes to read this. So Ockler used the concept of former-childhood-BFFs to introduce the romance. Okay.

Problem #1: It is very unlikely that after 8 years with no contact whatsoever, Patrick and Delilah still have this very friendly relationship as soon as they see each other. Like he calls her "baby", and hugs her and yada yada. Unrealistic.

Problem #2: A romance like that feels underdeveloped. Just because they USED to kn ...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Nomes rated it really liked it

Shelves: swoon, i-own, rainy-day-comfort-reads, 2011, crushing-on-the-writing

Sarah Ockler debuted with Twenty Boy Summer ~ an addictive, emotional yet fun must read for fans of contemp YA. I became an instant fan of her writing and themes handled so dexterously for teens. Twenty Boy Summer was like a blend of Sarah Dessen mashed up with The Sky is Everywhere (Jandy Nelson) in a cute little beach read with a huge emotional punch.

Anyways, I was MOST thrilled to read her sophomore novel, Fixing Delilah.

Fixing Delilah is quite different to Twenty Boy Summer, but equally as g Sarah Ockler debuted with Twenty Boy Summer ~ an addictive, emotional yet fun must read for fans of contemp YA. I became an instant fan of her writing and themes handled so dexterously for teens. Twenty Boy Summer was like a blend of Sarah Dessen mashed up with The Sky is Everywhere (Jandy Nelson) in a cute little beach read with a huge emotional punch.

Anyways, I was MOST thrilled to read her sophomore novel, Fixing Delilah.

Fixing Delilah is quite different to Twenty Boy Summer, but equally as gorgeous.

Ockler's prose is JUST STUNNING. Gorgeous and lyrical and surprising. It's the sort of book you don't want to skim ahead. Each sentence is written to be savoured ~ it's a book where I'm crushing big time on the writing. The way Ockler finds the perfect rhythm with her prose, and the eye for details and the gift she has for expressing emotion sets her apart as a talented author to keep your eye on.

As for the story ~ it is another book set over summer. Not at the beach this time, but in a small country town. The plot focus's on relationships: Delilah's relationships with her mum, her mum's relationship with her sister, family relationships and secrets from the past AND Delilah's relationship with The Boy Next Door.

The Boy Next Door is Patrick and I'm sure he is leaping onto people's literary crush lists all over the world. He's one guy you really should meet ~ often shirtless, plays guitar, sings, mucks around and is Delilah's childhood playmate. Ockler also knows how to write some verrrry sweet make-out scenes heating it up while keeping it PG. SWOON

It's a classic coming of age. Working through your stuff and growing up, Delilah's character ARC was wonderfully done, subtle and quiet and ultimately touching.

This is very much a book for fans of literary fiction. It's plot may not be as dynamic/addictive as Twenty Boy Summer for some readers, but the setting is just as rich and it's a book you can fall into and find yourself lost in.

I ADORED it and plan on re-reading it. It's on my keepers shelf, guys :)
...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Fred rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of Sarah Dessen, Jennifer Jabaley

I loved this book so much, it's really the kind of story that got me hooked on, and keeps me reading YA. The story is intense - why did Delilah's mom stop speaking to her own mother 8 years ago, the day of her father's funeral? And why is Mom so vague on the subject of Delilah's own dad, a one night stand whose death is the subject of Delilah's curiosity and concern. Now 16, Delilah has come to feel adrift in her own life when they receive the news of her grandmother's death. Their return to the ...more

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Jan 12, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, read-2011, ec-lib, young-adult

Already a fan of Sarah Ockler, Twenty Boys Summer, I was really looking forward to seeing what her next book would bring.
Truly, Sarah is gifted when it comes to writing strong characters in a thought provoking plot. This was a beautifully written book!

Fixing Delilah is an emotional story about a mother and daughter, a deep dark secret, family, love and self-awareness.

I simply adored these characters, there is so much depth into each of there personalities and I loved that when together, they se ...more

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Nov 15, 2013 Siiri (Little Pieces of Imagination) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, diversity, favorites, contemporary, romance, stand-alones, own, 2012-release-or-earlier, read-2015, will-treasure-you-forever

This is the third book by Sarah that I've read this year. I can't believe I hadn't picked up anything by her prior 2015. Fixing Delilah has been on my wishlist for ages and the darling friend of mine Rashika gifted it to me for my birthday in August. I hadn't felt like reading much for a few weeks and picked this pretty up on a whim. What a winning decision this was!

description

Fixing Delilah has a very authentic voice, as always with Sarah's novels. The story is so easy to follow and it's very relatable ev This is the third book by Sarah that I've read this year. I can't believe I hadn't picked up anything by her prior 2015. Fixing Delilah has been on my wishlist for ages and the darling friend of mine Rashika gifted it to me for my birthday in August. I hadn't felt like reading much for a few weeks and picked this pretty up on a whim. What a winning decision this was!

description

Fixing Delilah has a very authentic voice, as always with Sarah's novels. The story is so easy to follow and it's very relatable even if you haven't experienced these sort of tough issues in your life. I found myself aching for these characters for the loss of their loved ones, what-could-have-been's and the hollow that was left behind due to these losses. It was beautiful to see a broken family confront their past and overcome obstacles together. I love how different the three Hannaford women all were, but how they complimented each other as a family. Even through toughest times, even through the hate, ache and sorrow; in the end, after everything has been said and done, they're a true family tied together by their love for each other.

Of course, we have ourselves a gorgeous, adorable romance, just like Sarah loves to write them. I can tell you that I fell head over hells with Patrick Reese and his thoughtful, likable self. It's a "childhood best friend to lovers" romance, which is one of my favorite tropes. When reading the acknowledgements (something I always do), I saw that Sarah inserted little parts of her relationship with her husband in Patrick and Delilah's storyline, and I personally think that the stories where authors insert such an important part of themselves into, are the kind that really pull at your heart strings. Fixing Delilah most certainly did.

description

I cried a lot; I swooned and laughed and smiled. I also ached and rooted for every single character. I'm so incredibly glad that Sarah, in the novels that I've read so far, always portrays positive girl relationships. She shows how girls can become friends, how they support and root for one another. I think it's so important, especially in Emily's case, since she didn't have lots of good girl friends, and thinking about her friendship with Delilah is making me a bit teary eyed right now. I loved the final scenes these two shared!

This is getting rather long, but I want to speak about one other thing. It's depression. Fixing Delilah shows perfectly how much depression isn't only one person's burden, but all the people close to the person suffering from depression are affected by it. (Another book like this is Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta, if you're interested to seek that out.) Depression is never to be taken lightly. I feel as though the title hides a hidden meaning in itself: (view spoiler)

With its authentic voice, this story of loss, confronting the past, moving on and finding oneself, Finding Delilah is a great issue book that deals with diverse topics. It is not to be missed!

*this picspam can be viewed in HQ on my Tumblr ...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Isamlq rated it liked it

Fixing Delilah reminds me of Saving Francesca which I read a few months back. I enjoyed these two stories as they are a little about lost/broken girls and a lot about family and frienship. Delilah’s story just happens to be clothed in a little more mystery.

With her grandmother dead, she, her mother and aunt return to their hometown. There she finds an old friend, discovers another one then (re)discovers her family's past. She finally gets answers about a lot of things. BUT I just kept weaving t ...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Glass rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction, summer-books

Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah
:D

Hey there Delilah, I've got so much left to say
If every simple song I wrote to you
Would take your breath away, I'd write it all
Even more in love with me you'd fall, we'd have it all ...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Ariel rated it really liked it

This was an absolutely fantastic contemporary. Reafing about Delilah's journey was brilliant. I definitely recommend this book to anyone searching for a "summer read" or for a heartfelt contemporary.

A lot of the time, contemporaries can feel rushed.. Trying to fit in backstory, the story, and the future all together can feel muddled and can leave the main story lacking. Tis book had a great balance though. It has a believable and lovely and strong romance, a real fight for family, and an honest ...more

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Sep 25, 2018 Sam rated it liked it

Shelves: stand-alone, young-adult, 2018-reads, lgbtqiap-representation

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 03, 2010 Danielle rated it really liked it

Shelves: for-review, youngadult

It's been an entire eight years since Delilah Hannaford has seen her grandmother and now she's dead. Beyond any choice of her own, her mother has kept contact with her immediate family to the bare minimum and their communication between the two of them is almost non-existent. What once was a happy home, a mother-daughter bond similar to that of Rory and Lorelai of the "Gilmore Girls", is now a work-a-holic mom ordering take-out for her lackluster daughter. Delilah hardly recognizes the two of th It's been an entire eight years since Delilah Hannaford has seen her grandmother and now she's dead. Beyond any choice of her own, her mother has kept contact with her immediate family to the bare minimum and their communication between the two of them is almost non-existent. What once was a happy home, a mother-daughter bond similar to that of Rory and Lorelai of the "Gilmore Girls", is now a work-a-holic mom ordering take-out for her lackluster daughter. Delilah hardly recognizes the two of them when they sit together during a car ride back "home", but it's possible that once they arrive things will begin to unravel for them more quickly than they thought possible.

From the very beginning of Fixing Delilah you get the feeling that Delilah is searching for something. She's always looking for answers: Why did her mother stop talking to her grandmother? Why does my mother work so much and notice me so little? Who was my father and who does that make me? Everyone wants to feel grounded, to have a sense of identity, but teenagers (and Delilah especially) seem to have the desire in spades. And Sarah Ockler does a brilliant job of portraying that struggle for identity and individuality.

What I loved about Fixing Delilah though wasn't necessarily Delilah, because at times she kind of got on my nerves a bit. I do cut her some slack because she has a myriad of problems that aren't entirely her own fault. I love love loved the story between Delilah and her childhood sweetheart, Ricky (Patrick). Their story was a bit of the reason I recall picking up young adult novels, the young love and complete abandonment into another person's existence. It's one of those stories where you wait for them to stare at each other from across a group of people just to feel that electricity. Not only that, but the way they support each other the way people in love really do. And Ricky does, through all the trials Delilah goes through in the book he's right there for her waiting for her to move forward with or without his help.

In addition to the romance between Ricky and Delilah, it was the connections between the characters and the setting that truly stood out. First the setting, because I'm a huge sucker for a good Southern setting where you can literally feel the humidity and see the porch swings as you read it. Second, the relationships...not only with her mother, but with her Aunt as well as new friendships. Also, if I could recommend this book to every mother with teenagers I would, because of how Ockler portrays that mother-daughter relationship. As mothers we sometimes get caught up in "getting things done" so that our children have the things they "need" when most of the time they only need us. They need to feel loved and they need someone to listen, or at the very least that's what Delilah needed.

Fixing Delilah was a beautiful book about love and growing up. Delilah was at times a typical teenager, running off with the wrong guy, but in the end discovers who she truly is. Sarah Ockler has done an incredible job portraying so many of the aspects of being a teenager, particularly one with numerous questions and not a lot of answers. This is definitely a book I'd recommend to young adult fans both young and old. A story about finding yourself even when you think the rug has been pulled out from under you and discovering that what matters most are the people you love and who love you in return. ...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Jasmine Hawamdeh rated it it was amazing

Shelves: december-reads

I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!
Yup, I wrote "loved" three times. But I this book totally deserves it! This book starts of when your introduced to Delilah, she has no siblings, no father (who she thinks is dead), and a workaholic mother. She gets bad marks, is bullied at school by her "friends", "forgot" that she had lip gloss in her hand when she left the store, and sneaks out with a different boy every night into the forest. What a life. But there was a time where she had a better one, when her ...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Emi rated it it was ok

i like cheese. i like cheese on sandwiches and pizzas and crackers. but there is only so much cheese i can take in a book, and this one probably has too much for me.

Fixing Delilah has a great opening chapter. it consists of only one line, but immediately sets the pace and makes you curious. unfortunately, from there on, the beginning is really and truly slack and hard to get through. while it is an easy read (another pointlessly fat book with huge print), and the chapters are short, it was hard ...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Alisha Marie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books-i-ve-read, young-adult, kindle-freebies

In one of Fixing Delilah's "professional" reviews, it mentioned that fans of Sarah Dessen would love this book. I'm a huge Sarah Dessen fan. She's one of the only authors that doesn't have me rolling my eyes at romance. She is the queen of the airy-summer-fling romance novel. So, I had to check out Fixing Delilah due to the comparison to Sarah Dessen (that and the fact that it was a free Kindle e-book for a while). Unfortunately, it didn't live up to "Sarah Dessen" standard.

My main issue with Fi In one of Fixing Delilah's "professional" reviews, it mentioned that fans of Sarah Dessen would love this book. I'm a huge Sarah Dessen fan. She's one of the only authors that doesn't have me rolling my eyes at romance. She is the queen of the airy-summer-fling romance novel. So, I had to check out Fixing Delilah due to the comparison to Sarah Dessen (that and the fact that it was a free Kindle e-book for a while). Unfortunately, it didn't live up to "Sarah Dessen" standard.

My main issue with Fixing Delilah was Delilah. I found her very much "me, me, me" obsessed. I understand that she's a teenage girl and that they're sometimes self-involved, but the only thing Delilah focused on was herself; her pain, her issues. She seemed to think that she was the only life who's life was screwed up. Forget about the fact that her mom and aunt lost their sister (totally not a major spoiler by the way), Delilah was just focused on how sad she was because she never met her and blah, blah, blah. Not only was Delilah self-involved, but she was also very whiny and very melodramatic. Everything was an issue with her, even the mild ones. Plus, the story was told in the first person. Now, I don't have a problem with novels written in the first person, but I think the fact that I was reading every single one of Delilah's thoughts, really led me to be even more annoyed with her. I kept thinking "GET OVER IT!"

I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge romance fan. The only times that romance novels don't make me want to slam my head against the wall repeatedly are the young-adult ones (or one the suspense romance novels and even then that is hit or miss). Mostly because they seem to be less cheesy. Well not Fixing Delilah. This was cheese-galore. The romance was also very cliched. One line in particular that had me roll my eyes was when Delilah mentioned that Patrick looked at her like he was dying of thirst and she was the water. Who says that?! Do people really think in this cliched manner? The only time a line like that even remotely works is in a movie and even then you better have an amazing actor back it up so that it doesn't become cringe-worthy (I'm thinking along of the lines of Emily Blunt's line in The Jane Austen Book Club where she says that the guy looks at her like she's the dish of ice cream and he's the spoon. She got away with it due to her performance). Needless to say, there was a lot of eye rolling and "Seriously?" going on while reading this.

So, why two stars instead of the dreaded one? Mostly because I was intrigued by the whole family dynamics of the story. I was interested in what happened between the grandmother, Claire, and Rachel. That was the only thing that kept me reading (considering that Fixing Delilah moved at a snail pace). Those parts were actually done extremely well and felt true to form. In fact, I could've read a whole book about the three sisters and the mother with minimal eye-rolling.

In the end, I didn't really like Fixing Delilah. I mean, it was okay, but nothing to write home about. Certainly not up to Sarah Dessen's standards (but then again this is the author's second novel and for me Dessen's novels didn't start getting good until the third one). ...more

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Jun 22, 2014 Bee rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-books, standalones

I absolutely loved the writing style.

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Jul 09, 2018 Emma Reads rated it liked it

*3.5 Stars*

the main character in this book drove me insane and the writing style was just not my taste. but, i loved how this book shed light on mental illness and overall it was a great story. i also loved the family aspects. overall it was an okay book, just not my favorite.

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Apr 07, 2018 Michelle (Pink Polka Dot Books) rated it really liked it

Definitely a Contemporary Romance fan's dream book.

This book had total Sarah Dessen-vibes. Delilah felt so much like a Dessen main girl-- strained parental relationship (check!), slightly rebellious behavior (check!), touristy location setting (check!), super swoony/patient to a fault boy (check!). And I mean all of that as a compliment because Sarah Dessen creates stories that you can just sink into and become completely immersed, and this book was very much like that.

Drawbacks: I didn't LOVE D ...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Anna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: death-grieve, favorites, young-adult, romance, i-own, music, inspirational

After her debut novel, Twenty Boy Summer, I know that I'm gonna love her other books. Without a doubt, Sarah Ockler writes beautifully. It's nice to know that after an amazing and very emotional ride with her first book, delivering the second one is still what I was expecting of her.

Fixing Delilah may be your typical dysfunctional family story but what I love about it is how real the characters are and how emotionally driven and moving it is in between. It just had the right amount of laughter, ...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Aleeeeeza rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011-read

I'd been reading so many paranormal romances and was craving a really good contemp, and I totally got one. This book was, in short, AMAZING. It's got complicated parent-kid relationships, first love, SUMMER! (which is quite awesome to read about during winter, as you know), super-cute, repeat, super-cute love interest, family secrets, and beautiful writing. Delilah was a complicated yet relatable character, and her narration was So. Much. Fun to read! She had such a great sense of humor, and her ...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, read-2011

"We all long for what could have been." This is a quote repeated several times throughout Fixing Delilah, one that I really love. Having not yet read Ockler's debut Twenty Boy Summer, I was pleasantly surprised by her lyrical yet simple way of writing and the rhythm the events were woven together. She certainly knows how to write her stories and make fantastic characters; Delilah was wonderful and had me captivated from the start.

Despite how much I loved Delilah's character, she is not my favori ...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Jenna rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. I picked it up because once I get attached to an author, I find everything she's ever written, and Twenty Boy Summer, Ockler's debut novel, was AMAZING. The woman is a master at imagery.

I felt like I knew Delilah's personality almost from the first three chapters alone. Delilah is the misunderstood child who isn't allowed to ask questions or discuss feelings. Mom is a workaholic. When D's grandmother dies, they must return to Vermont, where she remembers spending most every s ...more

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Apr 23, 2015 BookCupid rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, contemporary

Every family has got secrets...

But Delilah's tired of being left out of the loop. She and her mom return to Vermont for her grandmother's funeral. A woman they had not seen for the past ten years, after a family fight regarding her father that no one wants to discuss with Delilah. Why did they keep away? Why so much resentment? Are things really better left unsaid?

Death has a way of reminding us that pride isn't always worth it. Ockler kept some really juicy secrets from Delilah in this book an ...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Trisha rated it liked it

Delilah's family is torn apart from a long time feud.

Although I thought the love interest was a great story line, I thought the basic plot seemed a little skimmed over. It's a tough topic, though, for any family - so many secrets - that it's hard to find a balance between really wallowing in the horror and understanding the motivations of Delilah. I would have loved more back story and more understanding of the mom and sisters, but it was a nice short read, so that may be a nice trade off at tim ...more

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Oct 09, 2015 Jenn rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Jenn by: Siiri (Little Pieces of Imagination)

Shelves: na-ya-faves, favorites, siiri-s-must-reads, fun-young-love

Oh my goooooooooooosh! This book is remarkable! It's one of those "sucks you right in" type of stories and I thought for sure it would do a number on my emotions. Except for a couple of parts where my heart was in my throat and I thought it would break into a million pieces, the entire story was just so sad and real and heart wrenching. Delilah is so relatable and the friendship between her and Patrick and Emily is just so fun and amazing. Lots of swoon-worthy moments that give you chills and ma ...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Zemira (Kylo Ren fangirl) Warner rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic

I would recommend this book to Sarah Dessen fans.
It only gets 4 stars from me because it was so hard to connect with the story at the beginning. In my case it was more like the half of the book.

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Apr 24, 2020 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it it was ok

Fixing Delilah was decent. It's all about complicated family dynamics and the way that secrets and a lack of communication eat away at relationships. While the ending is effective, Delilah's voice is lacking, so I never felt any sort of emotional connection to this book, and it's the sort of novel that really needs that. Then again, maybe I'm just biased because both Delilah and Patrick love Catcher in the Rye, the worst classic of all time, so I can't possibly like her. On the plus side, I do t ...more

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Jul 31, 2017 ☆☆Hannah☆☆ rated it liked it

This was a tough one to rate. There were things and I liked and things I didn't like. I definitely found Delilah hard to like at times. The thing that ended up saving this book was that everybody ended up fixing their relationships with each other. ...more

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About Sarah Ockler

Sarah Ockler

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Sarah Ockler is the bestselling author of six young adult novels: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, #scandal, The Book of Broken Hearts, Bittersweet, Fixing Delilah, and Twenty Boy Summer. Her books have been translated into several languages and have received numerous accolades, including ALA's Best Fiction for Young Adults, Girls' Life Top 100 Must Reads, Indie Next List, and nominations for YALSA ...more

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Sun-drenched love takes exciting shape in The Summer of Chasing Mermaids. The author answers your questions about her advice for young writers, her...

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“I was, but then I realized that I was holding on to something that didn't exist anymore. That the person I missed didn't exist anymore. People change. The things we like and dislike change. And we can wish they couldn't all day long but that never works.” — 583 likes

“In your entire life, you can probably count your true friends on one hand. Maybe even on one finger. Those are the friends you need to cherish, and I wouldn't trade one of them for a hundred of the other kind. I'd rather be completely alone than with a bunch of people who aren't real. People who are just passing time.” — 461 likes

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