“A middle schooler and her best friend spend a summer full of surprises and misadventures in Wisoff’s 1990s-set debut novel.

“Wisoff’s absorbing tale is stylized as January’s eighth-grade assignment—in the conceit of the novel, she’s writing about what she did over her summer vacation. Intriguingly, the story doesn’t only follow her first-person narrative, since her post-summer “composition fact-gathering” provides her with others’ perspectives. For example, January’s foulmouthed former schoolmate Pigface (his hip-hop handle) witnesses several interactions . . . in Manhattan. January’s and Crisscross’s stories are equally compelling. . .The often-grim narrative pulls no punches when dealing with such issues as child abuse and habitual drug use, but it hits upbeat notes, too, from various characters’ warmhearted actions to touches of humor; Crisscross pretends to be a Girl Scout selling cookies while her uniform is “in the wash. A bear pooped on it at the zoo.” Readers will surely look forward to more from these girls in the planned sequel.

“Superlative characters headline a somber, quietly riveting story of friendship and family.” – Kirkus Reviews

Rating: 5

“Jill Wisoff’s debut novel follows the exploits of two at-risk girls as they seek to carve out stable lives for themselves. Assigned to write a “What I Did on My Summer Vacation” essay, eighth-grader January Hoolihan chronicles the radical changes she has undergone in a few short months…. She captures dialogue wonderfully, adding depth to the characters through their conversations with one another. And, although the novel touches on some heavy themes (drug abuse, homelessness, child abandonment, rape), the narrative never feels weighed down by these subjects—and indeed is often very funny.

“Most striking, however, are the book’s amazing characters. Each of the young girls speaks and acts believably for their age. Crisscross comes across as simultaneously world-wise and childlike; her sense of self-preservation is so keen that she can determine which house is unoccupied for the summer so she can break into it, yet she believes in flower fairies…Shelter Island is remarkable in a number of ways, and both teen and adult readers are likely to enjoy this YA novel’s nuanced characters and plot.” - BookBrowse

. . . After her punk-rock father dies of an overdose, January meets her yogi island-famous grandfather, Bill Hoolihan, and adjusts to life on Shelter Island. She is trailed by spunky 8-year-old sidekick Crisscross with a tumultuous past of her own. Scenes of January settling into island life—making friends, going crabbing, starring in a fashion show—brim with humor and vivid local detail, buoyed by a memorable supporting cast…

Shelter Island uses January’s eighth-grade writing assignment as its framing device, infusing each page with her punchy, street-smart retrospective narration and “fact-finding research.” The choice layers the writing with playful descriptions, kid-accurate dialogue, and charming rap interludes . . . Wisoff depicts life in both Tompkins Square Park and Shelter Island during the 1990s with period-accurate details and references to fashion, music, and hairstyles, bringing a distinct era of New York City into focus. 8-year-old swindler-in-the-making Crisscross is the novel’s standout character, both a homage to and a reinvention of other beloved orphan-heroes, like Oliver Twist and Peter Pan. . .

Readers will fall in love with Shelter Island’s richly drawn characters, each distinguished by carefully chosen details and distinct voices. But at the novel’s heart is January and Crisscross’s sisterly bond: they laugh, quarrel, and worry over each other with all the affection and friction of blood-related siblings. . . – The BookLife Prize