Synopsis: Marley’s life is as precarious as an overfull water balloon—one false move and everything will burst. Her best friends are pulling away from her, and her parents, newly separated, have decided she should spend the summer with her dad in his new house, with a job she didn’t ask for and certainly doesn’t want. On the upside is a cute boy who loves dogs as much as Marley does . . . but young love has lots of opportunity for humiliation and misinterpreted signals. Luckily Marley is a girl who trusts her instincts and knows the truth when she sees it, making her an immensely appealing character and her story funny, heartfelt, and emotionally true. (Goodreads.com)
This is a story about friends growing apart, about Marley having to deal with her parents separating, and about having to deal with your very job, which you hate. Marley is an average teenager, someone who isn't quite as mature as her friends are. She still loves playing Monopoly and having water balloon blitzes. Unfortunately, her two best friends are beyond that now and it is hurting Marley. On top of that, she is living with her father for most o f the summer while her mom travels and visits friends. It's odd because her father has a new house, a new life he is establishing for himself and now Marley has to learn to fit in to it. It's not easy.
What I really loved about this book is just how emotional it all felt. This was big, big stuff to Marley. Her emotions hurt, they felt excruciating coming off the page. I felt terrible for her when she did her balloon blitz at her friend's party. I knew it wouldn't end well and I just wanted to stop her. But that's the reality of this book. You have to go through those mistakes to grow up. You have to experience friends being total bitches to you (unfortunately). You have to learn to deal with jobs you didn't want to begin with, and you have to learn to make new friends, particularly when it's the sweet, cute, boy next door.
There were moments when Marley felt a bit too old for what for her age (on the verge of eighth grade) but that didn't bother me very much in this book because there was so much that felt realistic and honest as to how girls her age actually act. The excitement of thinking you'll be doing something awesome your friends will laugh about only to realize way too late that is not going to happen. Marley just really spoke to me as a character. Her insecurities but also her growing knowledge that she deserved something better in friendship.
Additionally, I enjoyed watching Marley and her father grow closer. Even at the end, there's a bit of an awkwardness between them but it felt like a healthier sort of awkward, the kind you experience when you're starting to enjoy getting to know someone for who they truly are.
Water Balloon is in many ways a carefree story. There isn't a lot of action but there is so much going on in Marley's head, from her feelings to her thoughts, that it felt like something was going on at every point of the story. It is a story of growth and change, healing, and learning to become a bit more of an individual, even when you are still nervous about what being your own person can mean.
All in all, Water Balloon successfully navigated many of the pitfalls of growing up, through just a short summer. Marley doesn't have all the answers but she is ready to discover some of those answers herself rather than just hiding from them. A wonderful story. Hand this to your tween readers, they will totally relate to Marley's struggles and changing feelings.
Reviewed from public library copy.
