Review: Gil Marsh by A. C. E. Bauer

Gil Marsh by A. C. E. Bauer.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 2012
List Price: $15.99
ISBN-13: 9780375869334

Review: Imagine having everything you ever wanted in high school, popularity, money, athletic and mental skills, and suddenly your best friend is taken away from you when you just have become close friends. In the book, Gil Marsh by A.C.E Bauer, Gil Marsh has to live with the death of his new Canadian friend, Enko Lebette.

Gil Marsh has everything, girls, friends, top grades and he is the best runner in school. Then, a new student from Montreal in school is slowly taking this all away; Enko has become Gil's next target. Gil tries everything to make Enko look appalling, giving him terrible nicknames, turning everyone against him, but Enko still stays popular. Gil becomes furious when he finds Enko running on the rocks that he has always ran on every day. Gil and Enko start having a full out fight but just then, a police officer separates them; this is where their friendship begins. Gil and Enko become inseparable. They do everything together and never leave each other behind. One night after the homecoming dance, Gil decides to go to an apple orchard he always wanted to go to as a child. Enko goes only to support his friend, but a police officer finds them again and brings the two teenagers home. Not soon after, Enko becomes sick, but in the hospital, Gil never misses a visit. Every day, Gil sits with Enko. One day, Gil's mother gets a call, Enko is dead. Gil is furious, but he remembers the ring Enko had given him. It was a family heirloom that had a legend of two youngsters madly in love and how the young boy bought a ring for the girl, but she soon dies, and the boy kills himself, much like Romeo and Juliet. Gil is devastated. He won't eat or sleep. Gil's parents have no time to take Gil to Enko's grave in Quebec, so Gil runs away to Canada. There, he meets Adele. Adele is a beautiful young girl who lets Gil stay in her apartment until he finds Enko's grave. But looks may deceive you. Gil then remembers of the legend of the ring and how an immortal man created the ring and can bring the dead back to life. Gil begins searching for the immortal man. Will Gil find him? Or will he be caught by the police and sent back home before reaching Enko or the immortal man?

Overall, I felt this book was quite enjoyable. Although some elements of the book are fictional, I believe this is a loving book of a boy coping with the death of a loved one. I loved the metaphors and similes the author included in the book, they made the vivid images in my head come to life. Her descriptive words explaining every detail also made the pages come to life. I also love how she made Gil such a relatable main character. He is a teenager with a best friend he feels he can't live without. I also felt the idea of the book was a very important issue. It discusses the importance of a friend and how hard it is to cope with the death of someone close through the eyes of a teen. One thing I feel that this book lacked was an ending that meant something. It left me wanting more because it was so abrupt. Besides this minor issue I thought this was a realistic and relatable that all young adults handling with the death of an adored person should read. Gil Marsh is a story of a young teen trying to find answers for death. I feel I would give this book deserves four stars. Everyone who has ever lost a close friend should read Gil Marsh by A.C.E Bauer.

Review written by Kyle (7th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Gil Marsh for this review.

Have you read Gil Marsh? How would you rate it?