A review by bibliobrandie
Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt

4.0

I love books set in Maine, especially books set in Maine in the 1960s (Brunswick, Bath, and Harpswell are prominently featured). This book is told from two perspectives. Meryl Lee has just suffered a tragedy so her parents send her to a girls boarding school in Maine to have a fresh start. Thirteen year old Matt mysteriously appears in the same town and you learn about his life and the traumas he has suffered through flashbacks. Because it’s set in the 60s you get some introduction to the Vietnam War, though mean Mrs. Connolly does not think it a suitable topic for conversation, especially for girls. This book has a great cast of characters (though very little diversity, as is the way in Maine) and for me, boarding schools are a fascinating setting. There is a teacher who made my blood boil, as she was supposed to do, and I found myself imagining her as the Wicked Witch of the West. I really loved how Schmidt revisited other characters from his other books in this one.
This is just a great read with great characters in a great setting!