ya review (classic) - what happened to lani garver

"What Happened to Lani Garver"
By Carol Plum-Ucci
(Harcourt)



Do you believe in angels? Claire thinks she does, after Lani Garver arrives in Hackett, an island town near Philadelphia. Lani is beautiful, androgynous ("Not a girl" Lani replies at one point), and intriguing. Claire befriends him, despite derision from her popular friends.

Lani seems to know just what Claire, a cancer survivor, needs; from taking her to the doctor to introducing her to his diverse group of friends in Philadelphia. But Lani never gives a straight answer, and a mysterious aura surrounds him - could he be a "floating angel", sent to care for Claire?

The readers knows from the gripping prologue that something sinister happened to Lani, and it caused Claire to change. By the end of the book, you still don't have any concrete answers, leaving the reader to speculate who - or what - Lani was. Plum-Ucci's prose is vivid, and her characters are strong and realistic. This book would make a great movie!