Full Review on the blog @ My Precious www.thecallawayfam.blogspot.com 
 Summary: Delilah Hannaford is on a path to self destruction. In the last month she's been accused of shoplifting, caught sneaking back into her bedroom late at night after having meaningless sex with her "non-boyfriend", dented her mom's car and she nearly flunked out of her junior year in high school. It sure didn't help the night she was discovered climbing back through her bedroom window was the same night her mother found out Elizabeth Rose Hannaford, the grandmother whose name Delilah had not be allowed to utter, in over eight years, was dead. Now, mainly because she can no longer be trusted, Delilah's summer plan's have been hijacked. She's being whisked away to Red Falls, Vermont, to her grandmother's home. There she will spend the summer helping the last remaining Hannaford women, her mother Claire and her Aunt Rachael, fix up her grandmother's old Victorian home. A place Delilah used to go every summer until she was eight years old, but then for some unknown reason she suddenly no longer was allowed to visit. What family secrets could Delilah uncover during the summer, what friendships will she re-kindle and how in the world will fixing up this old summer home somehow put Delilah's life back together? 
 Ramblings: Delilah Hannaford, a seventeen year old girl from Key, Pennsylvania is the narrator of this story. She's a complete disaster, starting with her poor relationship she currently has with her mother continuing with the way her grades have been slipping and how she tries to escape life through meaningless sex with her "non-boyfriend" Finn, but this wasn't always the case. The endearing part is the reader knows from what's going on in her head, she really desires to change. The death of her Grandmother will be the catalyst for the metamorphosis, but Delilah just isn't aware of it just yet. Delilah's mother, Claire Hannaford, is a single mother trying to provide for her daughter. She's a high tech executive, work-a-holic totally obsessed with her job . Its really sad how each time Delilah tries to reach out to her a phone call or pager will prevent her from following through. This situation rings true in so many teenagers lives today. Fixing Deliliah is mutilayered book with many different subplots going on. One of the subplots involves the romance between Delilah and her long lost playmate and friend "Little Ricky" who has transformed into the gorgeous, guitar playing Patrick. Another deals with the mystery surrounding the death of Claire and Rachael's younger sister Stephanie. A final one has to do with the symbolic nature of fixing up the old lake house. All play an important part in the growth and development of the main character, Delilah. Sarah Ockler, takes her time developing her characters and revealing small pieces to the bigger plot along the way. Sometimes the reader may be frustrated by not getting to the root of this dysfunctional family's problems sooner. In the end though, the reader will ultimately be satisfied with the way the story comes together. 
 Recommendation: This story is not suitable for younger readers due to mature themes, sexual references and occasional bad language. I recommend Fixing Delilah to anyone 14 years and older looking for a story about turning your life around. Also, if you like reading about dysfunctional families, family secrets and friendship, this is the book for you. Its a great read for guys and gals alike, since it covers real life teen situations and conflicts. However, once again, since the narrator is a female, and because of the romance I lean towards saying girls may enjoy this more than guys. Overall, I found this to be a really good book which was able to take complicated situations and wrap them up in a feasible fashion. 
 My Rating: 4 out of 5 Rings