Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 24))
Arriving on the Jersey shore, flamboyant Leonard Pelkey stomps into Phoebe's life on platform sneakers and complicates her disconnected family relationships. Befriended by blue-haired old ladies, Leonard's makeover enthusiasm garners him both friends and enemies. When Leonard's body is recovered after his sudden disappearance, Phoebe and her family must address their conflicted feelings about Leonard's murder and his absence in their lives. Armchair detectives, the Iraq war and sexual molestation all crowd their way onto the pages of this meandering narrative. Leonard's enthusiastic personality, though reminiscent of the fabulous Billy Bloom from James St. James's Freak Show (2007), never forges a similar emotional connection with readers and leaves them feeling exhausted. Electra's expositional 11th-hour speech concerning the nature of good and evil is a drastic departure for the character, and seems more pontificating than heartfelt. As a character and narrator, Phoebe's self-involved nature makes her entirely forgettable, and her improbable relationship with Travis, Leonard's killer, is another cheap manipulation. Lecesne's work on the Trevor helpline serves as a beacon of hope, but this bloated narrative clouds the issue of homophobia and teen sexuality. 2008, Laura Geringer/HarperCollins, 480p, $17.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Myrna Marler (KLIATT Review, January 2008 (Vol. 42, No. 1))
Fifteen-year-old Phoebe lives with her beautiful older sister and her divorced mother, who owns a beauty salon next door to their small house. Her father has run off with another woman. Her sister has withdrawn into a shell, and her mother is in an advanced state of denial. Suddenly Phoebe discovers that she has a shirttail cousin and he’s coming to live with them because of her uncle’s irresponsibility. His name is Leonard Pelkey, he’s 14, and he’s, well, “swishy,” or as he calls it, “being himself.” Phoebe is not especially kind to Leonard, but before long he has enchanted all the old lady patrons of her mother’s beauty shop with his sense of style and his insistence that everyone needs a makeover. Phoebe, who considers herself worldly wise, often grows impatient with Leonard’s vulnerabilities and his refusal to be anyone but his own unique person no matter how much grief he gets from the other kids at school. Then one day, Leonard disappears, and everything changes. In his absence, he seems to be everywhere, and Phoebe wishes she had been a better big sister to him. Although his murdered body is eventually found and the evildoer is discovered, this is not a murder mystery. It’s a book that’s not afraid to ask the big questions: Why is there evil in the world? How do you combat it? The novel even suggests some answers. This thoughtful novel is beautifully written; its themes are haunting, and in spite of the central tragedy, it’s often laugh-out-loud funny. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: S*--Exceptional book, recommended for senior high school students. 2008, HarperCollins, 474p., $17.99. Ages 15 to 18.

Allison Rheinhardt (Kutztown Book Review, Fall 2008)
Leonard Pelkey is well-liked by everyone. Having recently moved in with his aunt and two cousins, he turns there world upside down. He asks questions about the family’s past that have been swept under the carpet. He’s a whirlwind at his aunt’s salon. He gets creative with makeovers, and soon every woman in town is lined up. He makes friends with just about everyone, and isn’t afraid to be himself. Then Leonard goes missing, and no one, not even his closest friend and cousin, Phoebe, knows where he has gone. Phoebe begins her own investigation to find that the person she wants to trust the most is guilty of her beloved cousin’s murder. This book will inspire whoever reads it. It encourages people to be themselves. Readers will think of Leonard long after they finish this book. Category: Fiction. 2008, Laura Geringer Books, $18.89. Ages 12 to 18.

Judy Beemer (The ALAN Review, Summer 2008 (Vol. 35, No. 3))
Nothing is what it seems, learns 15-year-old Phoebe the year her almost-14-year-old cousin Leonard Pelkey comes to live with her family. Arriving in pink and green capri pants and homemade platform shoes, Leonard rates “instant reject” status in Phoebe’s book. After he disappears, though, Phoebe begins to see him, her family, her best friend, her community, and human nature in a different light. Absolute Brightness is Phoebe’s first-person investigation of Leonard’s disappearance. Even as Phoebe looks beneath appearances into the dark heart of evil, that voice remains authentically adolescent. A light-hearted study of serious issues, Absolute Brightness will have readers of many ages and interests turning pages, chuckling, wondering, thinking. Category: Identity/Homosexuality/Murder Mystery. YA--Young Adult. 2008, Harper Teen, imprint of HarperCollins, 472 pp., $21.89. Ages young adult.Milford, KS

April Spisak (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, April 2008 (Vol. 61, No. 8))
Phoebe has no interest in becoming friends with the gay cousin who has just been sent to live with her family; she thinks Leonard is too nosy, overly flamboyant, and obnoxious. When Leonard disappears, however, Phoebe realizes not only how much he always admired her but also how much she misses him. As the weeks go on and it becomes clearer that Leonard has been murdered, Phoebe is tortured by questions: who in her beachside town could have perpetrated such a crime, could she have prevented his death, and will she ever regain her careful distance from the world around her? As the story unfolds from Phoebe’s perspective, readers mostly see Leonard through her first annoyed and later haunted viewpoint. Unfortunately, this technique means the life of a potentially intriguing character is reduced to two sequential clichés as the stereotypically over-the-top flaming gay boy then becomes a martyr sent to teach the world about acceptance. In addition, two significant subplots, one about parental incest and the other a heavy-handed criticism of U.S. foreign policy, will likely deter readers even further from relating to Leonard or Phoebe as more than representative figures meant to instruct about tolerance and loving thy neighbors. It is actually in the moments when Phoebe focuses on her own growth that the story is most successful, elegantly honing in on one ill-prepared girl against what seem insurmountable obstacles. Indeed, Phoebe’s crumbling walls and her exploration of her new vulnerability is as compelling as the murder mystery itself. While Leonard’s death and the ensuing gay-rights messages seem at first to be central, those seeking a contemplative coming-of-age story will actually be the readers most satisfied with this novel Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2008, Geringer/HarperCollins, 480p.; Reviewed from galleys, $18.89 and $17.99. Grades 7-9.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2008)
Phoebe's cousin Leonard sports rainbow sneakers and offers makeover tips at Phoebe's mom's salon. Not everyone appreciates Leonard's individuality; he's bullied by a local thug and one day disappears. Characters rich with personality at the beginning are, in the end, overwhelmed by the book's too many big messages. Category: Older Fiction. 2008, HarperTeen/Geringer, 472pp, 17.99, 18.89. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Nancy Zachary (VOYA, April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1))
The mystery of Leonard Pelkey casts brightness and darkness on the community of Neptune, New Jersey, and in the Hertle household. Frankly observant Phoebe has strong ambivalent feelings about her almost-relative Leonard's colorful arrival into her home and school life. Leonard bonds with her mother's salon customers, providing style and beauty tips that are the talk of the town. Yet he is the ultimate freak and outcast in the school milieu, creating difficulties for Phoebe. When Leonard disappears, the plot races to catch up with a pandora's box of suspicion, fear, and guilt. This madcap narrative is quite lengthy, bordering on rambling, but the marvelous details are engaging, adorable, and also gravely tragic. The detective caper unfolds, meeting the vivid characters of bad-boy Travis, lonely Peggy Brinkerhoff of Shark Lake, the law, and the preacher, not to mention Phoebe's mom, who is overcome by life and the loss of Leonard. The teens created by Jean Ferris and Sarah Dessen come to mind as readers applaud Phoebe and big-sister Deidre's growth as they come to terms with Leonard's murder. Divorce, molestation, the loss of a parent, the war in Iraq, homophobia, and courtroom drama figure into this lively adventure, making it an outstanding read for boys and girls alike. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2008, HarperTeen, 480p., $17.99 and PLB $18.89. Ages 11 to 18.