SOLVED. YA (i guess?) book about a teenage girl whose father loses the ability to love after a stroke or aneurysm. Possible Spoiler ahead. [s]

[Amy]

I read this book probably a little over a decade ago in my mid-teens. Some scenes/details I remember:

- The cover was blue and had water on it (I think)
- Scene: protagonist is sitting on a chair in her room and making a list about what she wants to change about herself. Father interrupts her suddenly because he heard ducks.
- Father really likes ducks or geese or something? Hunting them, maybe?
- Scene: protagonist is talking with a sister (I think) while eating chocolate cake. Sister shames her for eating cake because she's fat.
- Scene: (Spoilers kind of??) protagonist and mom are talking about whether it would be cheating for mom to fall in love with another man because father cannot love any more and "is basically dead now".

Definitely a strange, possibly problematic book, but it's burned into my head and I've been wracking my brain trying to remember the title for ages.

[Audrey]

Rather long shot but maybe The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold??

[Amy]

Audrey wrote: "Rather long shot but maybe The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold??"

Definitely not, sorry. The protagonist was very much alive and there was nothing supernatural about the plot.

[Jamie]

Robodad by Alden Carter has a lot of these plot points....From the Kirkus review: "A brain aneurism has left Sharon's father disastrously altered, incapable of loving or showing love for his family and prone to sudden blackouts that make his former skills--driving a car, hunting--out of the question. Sharon also faces the usual adjustments to ninth grade, like discovering that her beautiful best friend is more advanced at handling boys than she is. Sharon and her family face other adjustments as well: Sharon's mother, seeking comfort, is poised on the verge of an affair, while her father exhibits a childlike curiosity about his daughter's changing body as he tries to make sense of his condition."

[Amy]

Jamie wrote: "Robodad by Alden Carter has a lot of these plot points....From the Kirkus review: "A brain aneurism has left Sharon's father disastrously altered, incapable of loving or showing love ..."

I think you might be right! The title doesn't sound remotely familiar, but that plot summary absolutely does! That last line gives me the heebie jeebies now.

I'll have to find a way to reread it (which is hard because apparently this book barely exists even in libraries, which makes me wonder how I ever got my hands on it) to know if this is it, but thank you!

[Jamie]

Happy to help!

[Kris]

Here's one book cover of Robodad by Alden R. Carter - Jamie's suggestion - on Abebooks:

https://www.abebooks.com/ROBODAD-Cart...

[Amber (Daisymau)]

It was also published as Dancing on Dark Water

[Amy]

Amber (Daisymau) wrote: "It was also published as Dancing on Dark Water"

Ah! Yes, now that title I recognize! With the blue cover and water. :)
This is for sure solved now. Thank you so much!