This debut solo effort after several collaborations with husband Tom McNeal (The Decoding of Lana Morris, 2007, etc.) stands out in the crowded coming-of-age field. The affecting narrative springs believably from the first-person thoughts of Pearl DeWitt as she recalls her 15th summer, when, entranced by a nearly mute, illegal Mexican migrant worker, the beautiful and gifted teenage Amiel, Pearl makes choices that lead to tragedy. Evocative language electrifies the scenes between the pair, as they develop a relationship both complicated and deepened by their limited verbal communication. Her warnings to readers of impending disaster amplify rather than diminish the impact of the misguided, wrenching decisions she makes when a raging wildfire sweeps through their rural California community. Besides her poignant relationship with Amiel, Pearl navigates her father’s recent abandonment of her and her mother and her complicated relationship with her cousin Robby as he blunderingly deals with his father’s apparent infidelity. Notable for well-drawn characters, an engaging plot and, especially, hauntingly beautiful language, this is an outstanding book. (Fiction. 12 & up)

DARK WATER is an excellent YA read and could easily be used in school. In fact,the publisher has a free PDF reading guide for teachers that conforms the the Common Core Standards at Random House
After finding the page, enter "Dark Water" as a search term, and then download the FREE teacher guide.

Although there is a romance in the story, it does not have explicit sex (just some kissing) and is full of the real problems of life teens do and could face. The protagonist is a girl named Pearl, 15, and has rather recently divorced parents. She is experiencing the changes this situation brings to life. She deals with her best friend becoming more interested in boys and being less interested in her, at a time she could really use a friend. She gets her first job, for instance. Set in California, the migrant workers she sees cause her to pause and think about their lives. She especially notices one boy who lives alone near the river due to family problems. There is a huge fire and the aftermath leaves Pearl much to deal with, mostly on her own. I can't give too much of a spoiler!

This book is beautifully written and is just full of discussion possibilities about the language used. Here is an example: "I was facing the wrong direction, but time still went forward, gliding toward destinations I couldn't see or choose." How many teens haven't experienced similar feelings?
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This book was rather boring. It got really good reviews from SLJ and others, but it's almost line people want it to be good because it is somehow profound, but the audience it is targeting probably will lose interest in about 20 pages. ( )

Pearl falls for her uncle's migrant worker, Amiel, a young man with a mysterious past. But her longing for Amiel leads to a tragic consequence as she hints throughout the book. Even with these hints, the turn of events still comes as a shock. Pearl's story is passionate and heartbreaking but at book's end you wonder if she isn't hanging on too tight to an impossible dream. And you have to love lines like "I was Braille and his eyes were fingers" and "I adjusted to the situation the way I suppose people adjust to being on a hijacked plane." ( )

Pearl and her mother live in Fallbrook, CA on her uncle's avocado ranch where she falls in love with an illegal migrant worker and is trapped with him when wildfires approach. ( )