A review by chchchazley
The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer

Far beyond what I expected. This book sat on my shelf for months after I picked it up for $1 at Half Price Books. I don't usually go for books about people recovering from tragedy, not unless that tragedy involves magical dueling or apocalyptic destruction. But Carrie Bell is fantastic. Packer creates a woman who runs from responsibility, can't decide what she wants, and doesn't have any idea who she is. Carrie destroys the people who love her, which inexplicably makes me love her more. And the ending is real. She finally makes a choice that she can live with, but she also has to live with the consequences of the choice she didn't make. Beautiful story.