Thin Space - Jody Casella

Three months ago Marshall and Austin, identical twin brothers, were in a really bad car accident.  Marshall survived while Austin did not.  Two months ago their elderly neighbor Mrs. Hansel passed away.  Whenever Marshall and Austin helped Mrs. Hansel she would talk about thin spaces.  Thin spaces are barriers between our world and the other side.  They are created where a person first came into the world and passed on to the next.  Marshall walks around barefoot everywhere trying to find a thin space so he can see his brother one last time.  He knows there is one in Mrs. Hansel's old house, but with a new family moving in it will be hard to get in.  He befriends Maddie, the new girl, so he can get into her house.  Maddie doesn't know what to think as she's heard how strange he is from her brother Sam and his friends.  Once he gains entry he walks over to where Mrs. Hansel died.  He is disappointed to find no thin space there.  When Maddie sees him trying to find the thin space he explains to her what he trying to find.  Maddie understands what he trying to find, but is still trying to wrap her head around everything.  The next day at school Logan, Marshall's girlfriend, tells him they need to talk.  They head to a coffee shop where they talk about everything that has gone on since the accident.  On the way home they see Maddie walking barefoot trying to find thin spaces where people died.  They take her home, and he's worried about her since he's been going around barefoot for the last few months trying to find thin spaces.  The next day Kate, Austin's girlfriend, tries to talk to Marshall and he blows her off.  Brad, a jock, then comes over and starts a fight with Marshall.  Marshall receives a four day suspension for fighting.  He does a lot of thinking over the first three days.  On the fourth day he patches things up with Maddie.  She has been researching the history of thin spaces, and wants to help Marshall see his brother one last time. 

This was a very good story about the loss of one person affects everyone around them.  I really liked the whole idea behind the thin spaces.  Most of us have those people who have passed away that we would like to see one last time.  

T.B. 12/26/13