Tag: depression

REVIEW: The Islanders by Mary Alice Monroe

REVIEW: The Islanders by Mary Alice Monroe

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Aladdin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Jake’s dad is critically injured while serving in Afghanistan, his mom sends Jake to Dewees Island to stay with his grandmother, Honey. At first, Jake’s upset – he has to leave his friends, go somewhere without wifi, and he’s worried about his dad. Jake also discovers his grandmother hasn’t been doing so well since his grandfather died. Most of the food in the fridge is long past edible. The house is filled with dusty stacks of books. And his grandmother spends a lot of time in her room.

But Jake starts helping his grandmother, and he makes a couple friends his age. And that changes everything. But even as he starts to feel more comfortable on the island, he worries about how his dad’s injury will change things.

Review

This was great! There’s a terrific blending here of Jake’s personal story – with the island, with his grandmother, and with his father’s injury – and a strong friendship story. Each of the three kids – Jake, Lovie, and Macon – are challenged by something. And their friendship helps each kid face that thing and address it in some way.

I enjoyed the naturalist/conservationist pieces – Jake learning about the island wildlife in general as well as the work the three kids do together for the (adorable!) turtles.

There’s a lot here for readers to love – great characters, a fascinating setting, and just enough interpersonal conflict to keep the story moving and the characters growing. I was excited to see that Goodreads lists this as the first in a series. I would definitely read more books with these characters in the future!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

REVIEW: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Clarion Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sara and Elizabeth meet at an afterschool cooking club at Sara’s new school. Her mom is teaching the class South Asian cuisine, and Elizabeth is taking it with her best friend, Maddy.

Sara’s struggling at the new school. Before this she went to a Muslim school. She knew all of her peers and felt like she fit in. Now, there are hundreds of other sixth graders, and even more 7th and 8th graders on top of that. Sara’s not sure she will ever fit in here.

Elizabeth and Maddy have been best friends for years, but ever since Elizabeth went away to summer camp, Maddy’s been more interested in being friends with another, more popular girl. With Elizabeth’s mom struggling with her grandmother’s death, things at home are strained, and now things at school are, too.

But Sara and Elizabeth find common ground at the cooking club. Sara might not like to cook, but she’s knowledgeable and skilled. Elizabeth loves the recipes they are cooking. And both girls, for different reasons, are coaching their mothers through the American citizenship curriculum. Maybe the moms could become friends, pass their tests, and life could get better – for both families.

Review

Outstanding! I loved this! Sara’s prickly at the start – at school and at home – so it takes a bit to warm up to her. But once I did, I adored the frank relationship she and Elizabeth have together, the freedom they have to ask religious and cultural questions of each other. (Elizabeth is Jewish, and her mom is British. Sara’s family is from Pakistan, and they are Muslim.)

All the threads – food, family, friendship, culture, anti-racism – are perfectly woven together. All of the pieces are kept in balance, and I loved every bit of it.

This is an excellent middle school friendship story that I think works for both older elementary and middle school students. The racism/anti-racism pieces are unambiguous, but also age appropriate for readers at the younger end of the range. There are creative elements with the food and cooking as well as Sara’s art that will appeal to kids. Mental health and mental illness (depression) are talked about in an age-appropriate way as well. This would be an excellent addition to classroom and home libraries as well as for reading aloud at school or at home. (Mental health/Depression)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis

REVIEW: Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Toby was a kid, growing up with her mom, she was fascinated hearing her mom talk about her absent father. It didn’t happen often. She showed Toby one picture of them together, and she talked about his singing. She said he was “magic.”

Toby’s mom cycled through dark moments and neutral ones. The voices would become incessant and drive her to the quiet of her locked bedroom. When Toby was 10, she came home from school and found her mother dead by suicide.

Now, at 15, Toby lives with her grandparents. Her grandparents rarely speak about Toby’s mother. And her father is a non-factor in her life. Toby fights her own darkness. She has to force herself out of bed in the morning. She’s convinced everyone will be better off when she is gone. She’s almost ready for her plan.

Then, out of the blue, her father calls. He’s going to be in the area. He wants to meet Toby.

Her grandparents don’t want him to come. Toby’s not sure she wants him to visit either. Where has he been all this time? He didn’t even come for her mom’s funeral. And when she hears more about him – that he’s gay and a drag performer – she’s even more confused than ever. Her plan is postponed for the moment – she’ll wait to check out this “father” who wants to meet her. But the darkness still stalks her.

Review

This is heartbreaking. The early chapters were dark and sad. Toby’s depression and her struggles are so well described it was almost hard to read.

Really, the whole story has a dark edge to it, but the heart develops alongside the darker pieces, and I was captivated by the story. There’s so much pain here. Toby’s loss is tragic, and she’s never been able to talk to anyone about it. Her father never felt at home in the community. His family turned him away. Toby’s grandparents carry their own grief. The pain of it all was raw and conveyed so well.

The mental illness pieces of this are well-written. I do wish there was more therapeutic follow up for Toby. Her needs were not going to just magically clear up. But I did enjoy the ways Toby starts to grow from her experiences – the new ways she sees her mom, her dad, her friends, and her experiences.

This needs an intense trigger warning for suicide and depression. I would caution readers to be in a good, safe, and healthy emotional place before reading this one. This left me in tears multiple times. Toby’s emotional state and her suicidal plans are well described and sensitively handled. But this could be triggering for some readers. (Language, sex, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Where You'll Find Me by Natasha Friend

REVIEW: Where You’ll Find Me by Natasha Friend

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Anna can’t believe she’s living at her dad’s house. He had gotten engaged to Marnie before her parents’ divorce was even final. And their baby appeared soon after their wedding. She’d done a careful job of avoiding sleeping there. Daytime visits only. Anything else felt disloyal to her mother. But that was before.

Before her mother tried to kill herself and ended up in the hospital.

And when it rains, it pours. Anna has also lost her best friend. She’s stuck at school hanging out with the weird kids. It seems like everyone – other parents, teachers at school – is talking about Anna’s mom. And Marnie’s trying too hard with Anna, making her feel suffocated.

It all leaves Anna feeling lost and adrift. But help will arrive from places she least expects.

Review

I pulled this from a middle grade pile on my bookshelf, but when I looked the book up, the publishing information says this is for teens. I was confused. Anna is only 13 in this story – young for a teen book. And while her processing of all the things feels appropriate for 13, it also feels young for a teen/YA book. It might be a good fit for the new “Older Middle Grade” category for readers 10 to 14. But there’s some mature content – some swearing, Anna hears her dad and step-mom having sex, etc. – things you don’t generally find in middle grade books. All of this made it hard for me to get a good grasp on this one. Who exactly is this book for?

That aside, I loved the story. My heart broke for Anna. The near suicide is a huge stressor, but there’s so much MORE going on:

  • The unspoken things between Anna and her dad and the ways she has felt abandoned by him, left to care for her mom on her own.
  • Anna’s fears of finding her mother dead.
  • Anna’s memories of her mom’s manic episodes as she learns about Bipolar 2.
  • Anna’s shame about her mom’s illness.
  • The loss of her best friend.

All of these things are conveyed SO well. I was rooting for Anna through the whole book – that she would make new and better friends, that she would see her step-mother as an ally, and that she would share the burden of her mom’s illness with someone. There’s a great happy-for-now wrap up to this that was so satisfying.

Find the right audience and this will be a hit with readers. I loved it! (Language, sexual references, references to Wicca, CW: Suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Suggested Reading by David Connis

REVIEW: Suggested Reading by David Connis

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Clara Evans has always been something of a reading fanatic. As a kid, she could only read books AT the library. Money was super tight, and her parents wanted no risk of overdue fees. When Clara found an abandoned library card, she used it to secretly check books out – and she never earned a fine!

Books were what got Clara admitted to her fancy school, Lupton Academy. They’re also what prompted her to start a nonprofit that runs Tiny Little Libraries around town and gets grants for school libraries in need. In fact, Clara’s night-before-school-starts tradition is called the “Evans Highlighter All-Nighter” which involves her staying up all night to read. And this year – before her last high school first-day-of-school – she stays up to read a new book from her favorite author. And it’s amazing.

Clara’s tired, but walking on  a post-book high when she gets to the school library for her volunteer shift. That’s when she discovers the school is puling 50 books from the library collection. And they’ve done it before. Students didn’t notice, thinking the books were just checked out when they couldn’t find them on the shelves. But now Clara is aware. And she’s ready to do something about it!

Review

This was fascinating! There have been a few other banned books/start-a-secret-library-in-your-locker sort of stories in the last couple years (Ban This Book, Property of the Rebel Librarian), but this stands in a category by itself. Part of the reason is that this is YA rather than middle grade. With the older audience, the author can explore some more mature content, reasoning and emotions. The other reason is how the protagonist is challenged and changed by this journey. At one point she feels like books – in some ways her most faithful companions through life – have betrayed her or failed her. She also wrestles with significant risk for her protest. All of these pieces made for a fantastic reading experience for me.

This would be a tremendous book for class reading or for book groups. You have all of the book related material, but you also have other teen issues like underage drinking, sexual identity, depression and suicide for discussion.

While the ending didn’t punch all the buttons I was looking for, I was pleased with how everything wrapped up for Clara and her friends. Be sure to check this one out! (Language, LGBTQ+, Trigger Warning: suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½