For three friends --- Oakley, Pauly and Lilly --- life in the sleepy town of Whitechurch is about to change drastically. First of all, Oakley is in love with his best friend's girlfriend, Lilly. That spells trouble any way you put it, but it's worse when your best friend is Pauly, the town troublemaker. Even though most people in town think he's good-for-nothing --- except Lilly and Oakley --- Pauly loves Whitechurch. He dreams of living there always with his girl and his best friend. But things are about to change . . .

When Lily announces she wants to go away to college in Boston, Pauly becomes desperate and behaves more outrageously than usual. Oakley works hard to keep him on track, but he's distracted by his own problems which include his abusive father and his mother, who is dead.

In many ways WHITECHURCH is a profoundly sad story. Oakley, Pauly and Lilly are all searching for something they need to make it to the next step in life. Lilly hopes she will find it at college, Oakley looks for it in poetry, and Pauly doesn't know where to begin his quest. Author Chris Lynch isn't afraid to look at the hurt and disappointment many people find in life and this makes his characters vibrate with life. WHITECHURCH will make you happy about your friends and the place where you live.

   --- Reviewed by Cassia Van Arsdale

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