"A middle schooler and her best friend spend a summer full of surprises and misadventures in Wisoff's 1990s-set debut novel."

"Wisoff's absorbing tale is stylized as January's eighth-grade assignment in the conceit of the novel, she's writing about what she did over her summer vacation. Intriguingly, the story doesn't only follow her first-person narrative, since her post-summer "composition fact-gathering" provides her with others' perspectives. For example, January's foulmouthed former schoolmate Pigface (his hip-hop handle) witnesses several interactions . . . in Manhattan. January's and Crisscross's stories are equally compelling. . .The often-grim narrative pulls no punches when dealing with such issues as child abuse and habitual drug use, but it hits upbeat notes, too, from various characters' warmhearted actions to touches of humor; Crisscross pretends to be a Girl Scout selling cookies while her uniform is "in the wash. A bear pooped on it at the zoo." 

"Superlative characters headline a somber, quietly riveting story of friendship and family."

—Kirkus Reviews

5-Star BookBrowse Rating:

"Jill Wisoff's debut novel follows the exploits of two at-risk girls as they seek to carve out stable lives for themselves. Assigned to write a "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" essay, eighth-grader January Hoolihan chronicles the radical changes she has undergone in a few short months.... She captures dialogue wonderfully, adding depth to the characters through their conversations with one another. And, although the novel touches on some heavy themes (drug abuse, homelessness, child abandonment, rape), the narrative never feels weighed down by these subjects—and indeed is often very funny.

"Shelter Island is remarkable in a number of ways, and both teen and adult readers are likely to enjoy this YA novel's nuanced characters and plot."

—BookBrowse