Strings Attached

Strings Attached
By Judy Blundell
Scholastic Press, 2011. 310 pgs. Young Adult

Following a horrible fight with her boyfriend Billy, Kit Corrigan has fled to New York City, where she's trying to forge a career as a dancer. Billy's father, Nate Benedict, who is a lawyer for the mob, finds her and offers her an apartment, clothes and favors in exchange for her getting Billy, who has enlisted in the army and is preparing to be shipped off to Korea, to come to New York for a visit. Kit accepts, but soon finds that she has gotten herself in over her head.

This book is filled with drama, as one might expect when a young girl winds up connected to the mob. The story flashes between the present (1950, with Kit in New York) and Kit's earlier life, as she remembers things that have happened previously and begins to understand they have more significance than she realized at the time. Although the book ends hopefully, there are many sad things leading up to that, so readers who are looking for something light and fun should look elsewhere.

AE