Oh boy. 

I don’t know what compelled me to read this, I’m certainly way outside the demographic at 33, but I read a Ring of Endless Light and loved it as a teen, and always wanted to know more about Zachary Grey. 

I have a hard time believing anyone whose parents are depicted as loving and caring as Vicky’s would ever let their FOURTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER go off with a nearly grown man. Zachary is talking about college and careers, and respond with “Gad! A mere infant!” when Vicky lies to him about being sixteen. Just, how did this happen? Who thought this was okay? And when she tells him the truth at the end, how did he not immediately second guess their whole relationship and say, “You know? Call me in 5 years when you’re older.” 

Ok, so maybe part of me wanted to read this to satisfy the curiosity my 12-year-old self always had for the other part of Zachary and Vicky’s story. But even accounting for nostalgia, this book simply does not hold up to it’s sequel. It’s written so strangely, an account of disjointed events that feels like Vicky’s diary entry about her summer vacation, with very little weight or gravity for some of the more tense moments that warranted it. A little girl cuts her arm on broken glass and severs an artery, but the book just passed along as though it were nothing out of the ordinary. Similarly, a little girl nearly gets mauled by a bear, and they just brush that off too. These are extremely traumatic events that would be sure to leave an impact! But L’engle does not let these moments have impact, merely throws them into the story as though she was worried her readers would be bored without something exciting every few pages. It’s hard to believe this is the same author that had me bawling my eyes out for Binnie, the little girl from the Ring of Endless Light. 

Skip this one. Even if you liked Zachary Grey, you won’t like this book.