Lump in the Middle

by C.S. Adler

Book Overview

As the "lump in the middle" between her "perfect" older sister and cute younger sister, Kelsey feels out of place in her family until she meets Gabe whose affection gives her the confidence she needs at home.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380711761
• ISBN13: 9780380711765
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Nobody's family is perfect...

Thirteen-year-old Kelsey feels like a lump in her family's middle. Her older sister Ria is perfect; her younger sister Sara is the spoiled brat her parents love to spoil. No matter what happens, Kelsey feels, it's always her fault. Even when she desperately wants things to go smoothly, it seems like something happens, and it's always blamed on her. Then Kelsey's father loses his job, and the family is forced to move into her Aunt Syl's beach cottage for the summer. With endless days of rain, the family's patience is tested even further as they're forced to spend all that time cooped up together. One day on the beach, Kelsey meets an older boy, Gabe, and his father. Without even thinking about it, Kelsey lies and tells them she is fifteen, so that she might have a chance with Gabe. Of course, whenever you tell a lie, you end up worrying about what'll happen when the person finds out. As Gabe and Kelsey get to know one another better, he begins spending time with her family...who will surely reveal that it's Ria who is fifteen, not Kelsey. However, as Gabe - an only child spending the summer with his divorced father - begins to know and enjoy Kelsey's family, Kelsey also begins to see her parents and sisters through his eyes. She decides that the only way to make her family work is to do her own part to make things go smoothly...

A Good Survival Story

I actually liked this book. Kelsey is the middle child of three sisters and has a mother who belongs out to pasture. Her baby sister is a vile brat who does cruel things to Kelsey to get her in trouble. The brat at 6 lies and smokes and sets Kelsey up to be blamed. Kelsey finally gets her to admit she was the one who smoked. Kelsey also has an unloving mother who seems so conditioned to respond negatively to anything from Kelsey. I hated that woman. Kelsey's father seemed like a shadow figure without much input and Kelsey's older sister was decent. Kelsey has to survive that wretched mother and little sister. I was glad when Kelsey's knuckleheaded mother finally admitted that she misjudged Kelsey after Kelsey saved her bratty baby sister from drowning. It is then that the brat admitted she set Kelsey up to get in trouble and the stupid mother finally sees the light. I didn't like the moronic mother or the obnoxious baby sister one bit.

A book that every teenage girl should read!

I have read many books by C.S. Alder. This one was my absoulute favorite. It is totally realistic. The descriptions of everyone, especially Gabe and Kelsey were wonderful. I found myself believing the plot and becoming angry myslf at the unfairness of Kelsey's parents (especially her mom). The way Gabe opens up out of himself to Kelsey, helping her build a stronger self esteem made for a wonderful, touching, funny and just enough romantic story.I liked the whole family and the way Kelsey thought was incredibly real. Somehow C.S. Alder has managed to catch the thoughts and troubles of a teenage girl and place them all between the covers of a book wher we can read and share them.