Tag: grief

REVIEW: Planet Grief by Monique Polak

REVIEW: Planet Grief by Monique Polak

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic ARC/ review copy of this book from Netgalley and Orca Book Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Abby is furious with her father. She does NOT want to spend her weekend at some grief retreat. She’d rather be at soccer – with friends, running around, not thinking about how it is almost Mother’s Day and her mother is dead. If only a heart transplant had come through for her sooner, or if she had not even gotten sick at all.

Christopher isn’t quite as reluctant about the grief retreat as Abby. His main worry is that someone will find out exactly HOW his father died. His mom assures him that the retreat leader, Eugene, is the only one who will know. But Christopher still walks in with his defenses up.

The other kids in the group are Gustavo who has been to grief retreat before because of his father’s death. As a seasoned participant, he helps Eugene with the group activities. Antoine and his moms are grieving the loss of Antoine’s little brother who died from SIDS. And Felicia is there because both of her parents died.

As Abby and Christopher experience grief retreat and participate in some exercises to help them with their losses, they are surprised by the things they learn about their fellow group members – and about themselves.

Review

This is an emotional and touching story. And it is so well written. I felt like the grief and emotions expressed by the characters were completely on target. I felt them and understood them. The complicated experience of grief was portrayed in a way that middle grade readers can understand. I think kids who have experienced loss could read this and feel understood. They might even get some new insights into their own grief experience. Kids who have not experienced death have a chance to gain insight and empathy by reading the experience of these characters.

I think this book could find a home in every single classroom and school library as well as home libraries. For those who tend to avoid books with gay characters due to religious reasons, I think the two moms in this story (who are never in a scene together due to the extreme grief of one of the women) are a small part of a much larger – and much more important – story. I think the value of this book to grieving kids and their friends far outweighs any questions the kids might have about a character with two moms.

I highly recommend this story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

REVIEW: Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Elementia is a trilogy of fantasy books written by the late M. E. Thorne. They’re like a female-led Lord of the Rings. The fandom is just as robust and outspoken. And they aren’t sold on the movie version being filmed in Ireland and directed by a woman.

Iris and Ryder Thorne may be the grandchildren of M. E. Thorne, but they didn’t really know her. As far as their dad is concerned, the books are garbage and they should have nothing to do with them except to bank the royalties as they roll in.

But Ryder fell in love with the books. And after a traumatic run in with a fan, the books seem to help him with the emotional fall out. So he begs their dad to go to Ireland for the filming. Since their dad is on a book deadline, he sends Iris to keep tabs on young Ryder.

Iris would love nothing more than to watch the movie crash and burn. She resents having to parent her younger brother, and she’s terrified of another fan making their family a part of his or her psychotic episode. As Iris gets to know the director and actors for the film, she starts to see Elementia, her family, and herself in new ways.

Review

I stumbled across this one at the library and decided to give it a try. What an unexpected delight! I loved the idea of this – the fantasy book series, the siblings in Ireland, the family drama, and the filming. Iris is awesome – so complicated. The development of her character across the book was one of my favorite things about this. She grows and tries and fails and tries again. She struggles to find her own voice under the barrage of her father’s criticism in her head. It was a terrific journey to watch unfold.

There are so many factors stacked against the movie that there were a lot of roadblocks to keep the story in the book moving forward. The actors, director, and film crew made a little temporary family for Iris and Ryder. Their real family – the off-in-her-own space mom and the angry dad with mother and grief issues of his own – were yet another layer to the larger story.

All of the pieces of this worked for me – the two kids finding their way together in their own lives and with their parents, the romance, the fantasy story in the filming, the feminist threads, and the fandom issues. I thoroughly enjoyed this! Hand this to kids who love fandoms or fandom stories. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Portrait of a Sister by Laura Bradford

REVIEW: Portrait of a Sister by Laura Bradford

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Even though they were identical twins, Katie always felt like an afterthought where Hannah was concerned. Hannah was the outgoing, energetic, fearless one. Katie was quiet and cautious. The differences between them became even more pronounced when Hannah decided not to be baptized and to leave their Amish community. Katie, the rule follower, stayed. Of course she stayed. This was her home, her family, and her community.

When Katie’s mom got sick, her commitment to home and family was even stronger. Her mother and family needed her. And after her mother’s death, Katie kept the family going. She picked up her mother’s responsibilities in the home and cared for her younger siblings as if they were her own.

When Hannah comes home for the funeral, she discovers Katie’s secret. She’s an artist. She draws in a secret sketch pad. And she’s extremely talented. But the Amish believe that photos or art of people are making “graven images.” A sin. Since Katie was baptized into the faith, she would be shunned if anyone ever found out. And if she chose her art over her community, she would never be able to contact her father or siblings again.

Drawing is the only time when Katie feels like herself, though. It’s the only thing that makes her smile. And it’s been months since her family has seen her smile. So her father sends her off for a week to visit her sister Hannah in New York City. It will be an opportunity to just be herself with no family responsibilities. She can see what life might be like if she chose her art over her faith. Would it be worth all she would lose?

Review

This was lovely! I don’t usually read Amish fiction, but after enjoying Belle and Ella so much earlier this year, I was interested in trying some more. This author’s Amish mystery series is on my TBR shelves, but I haven’t tried them yet.

I didn’t sense the same  level of faith in this story as I did in Belle and Ella. Katie’s commitments felt more like a commitment to tradition and expectation than a strong sense of faith. Katie has a lot of questions about the Amish assertion that her mother’s death was “God’s will” and something to just accept. But that was really the only place where faith was really explored. I completely identified with Katie’s need to do the “right” thing and put others before herself. Her struggles to choose her own path apart from her sister and her wrestling with where art could fit into her life, if it could at all, really clicked for me.

I did not care for Hannah for most of the book. She is bossy and brash and self-centered. She takes Katie’s art and does what she wants with it without respect for Katie’s perspective. Hannah knows the rules it violates but maybe since she doesn’t personally follow those rules anymore, she doesn’t even think about what the violation means for Katie. It’s almost as if she wants Katie on the “outside” with her – like she misses the family connections she once had. If Katie leaves, too, she can have it all, family and freedom. And she’ll risk Katie’s shunning and the fall out to do what she chooses. It was frustrating, but it made me appreciate Katie that much more.

There’s a slight love triangle in this – the Amish man Katie has been promised to and the man in New York who listens and understands her because she is free to tell him everything. I was thrilled with how that all worked out in the end.

This was a terrific story and I highly recommend it to fans of Amish fiction as well as those who enjoy stories about characters looking for – and finding – their identity.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno

REVIEW: Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Helen Reaves is a beloved author. Her Alvin and Margo Hatter series is the most popular set of children’s books of all time. When she passes away at 40, the world mourns.

To Lottie, though, Helen Reaves is so much more than a favorite author. She’s Aunt Helen. And Lottie and her family are devastated by their loss.

Even though her aunt is dead, Helen still has something to say to Lottie. She leaves her 24 letters to be opened one at a time. When Lottie completes a letter’s challenge (do something risky, celebrate life at a party, get angry), she opens another.

Each letter pushes Lottie. The anxiety and panic attacks she experiences threaten to overwhelm her, but she still tackles each challenge out of love for her aunt. But one letter may push her too far. And what will Lottie do when the letters are finished but her grief remains?

Review

From the opening scene (which some might find horrifying, but I found funny, having had a cremains issue once myself), I was hooked. I loved the relationship between Helen and Lottie, even though we only know about it from the letters. I loved Lottie’s family. Each person is grieving in his/her own way, and they give each other space for that while still being supportive.

The glimpses into Helen’s famous series invoke hints of a Harry Potter-like popularity and also reminded me of the structure of Fangirl. They were fun interludes that eventually tie into Lottie’s story.

There’s an interesting twist to the story. I have mixed feelings about it. I saw it coming, and it changed how I felt about the whole book. It shifted where I thought things were going. It all came together in the end in a satisfying way. But it changed what I thought the story was going to be. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

REVIEW: The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

For Lucy, the hits just keep on coming. Her boyfriend put their relationship on “pause” for the summer so they can re-evaluate their relationship. Instead of spending the summer hosting church groups at her family’s church camp, Lucy’s mom asks her to counsel at Dayspring. Dayspring is a camp for kids who’ve experienced difficulties in life – teen pregnancy, grief, loss, family issues, and abuse. And Lucy feels like she HAS to do what her mom asks because her mom’s cancer is back. Not knowing what might happen to her mom, how can she say no to a request from her?

Working at Dayspring will give Lucy a chance to grow in ways she can’t even imagine when the summer begins. It’s a safe place to work through her crisis of faith and her feelings about everything happening in her life. And she will find a community she didn’t know she needed.

Review

Stellar. Outstanding. I almost don’t have the adjectives to describe how amazing this story is.

This is not a Christian novel, per se. It’s not published by a Christian publisher. It includes lifestyle pieces that a traditional Christian story wouldn’t address. But there is a DEEP faith core to this story. And it’s about faith in hard times. Where is God when tragedy strikes, when cancer returns? And for me, the faith pieces were right on target – from Lucy’s awkwardness in the face of things she has never encountered before and her earnest desire to be compassionate to the question of “Is it okay to be a Christian and be mad at God?”

Having lived through a similar situation of recurring cancer at a similar age to Lucy’s, I identified with her thoughts and feelings. Her wrestling felt genuine. There’s a scene towards the end with Lucy’s dad that just wrecked me. It was all too familiar – and so authentic. This book left me feeling known and understood.

I think this is an amazing book even if you haven’t faced the same things as Lucy because her story is told so well. There is some mature content in the book (language, teen pregnancy, drinking, sexual identity), so this is a good fit for older teens/young adults and adults. If I could give this more than five stars, I absolutely would. This was fantastic!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

REVIEW: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Once upon a time, Rachel and Henry were best friends. And Rachel wondered if it might be more than just friendship. In a moment of great bravery, just before she moves away, Rachel writes Henry a note about how she feels. She asks him to call when he gets it. He never mentions the note or her declaration.

Years later, Rachel returns. A lot has changed. She barely responded to Henry’s letters and emails while she was away. Even in the midst of personal tragedy, she didn’t reach out to him. Now, not only are they in the same town, but she’s working at his family’s bookstore. She’ll see him every day. How’s that going to work?

Henry’s thrilled to have his best friend back. But Rachel has changed. She’s angry and private. She won’t explain why she stopped talking to him. As his divorced parents discuss selling their home and the bookstore, though, Henry will need Rachel, his old best friend, who understands the value of the store and the memories they’ve made there.

Review

Is it possible to both like and not like a book at the same time? While not a happy story per se, this is a beautiful look at grief and loss, friendship and love, and the value of words. The author does an excellent job of describing the losses experienced by the characters and their attempts to move forward in life and in their grief.

I liked the main characters, although I wanted to shake them at times. Henry’s infatuation with Amy was frustrating as Rachel’s assessment of her motives was always completely on target. And that assessment should have clued her into some things that happened in the story. Many of the characters felt stuck, repeating the same choices or feeling like they had no other choices. I liked characters like Martin and Cal who seemed healthy and optimistic about the future.

I struggle to describe this sort of book. I liked it in that it was well written and emotionally honest with characters I wanted to see succeed. At the same time, it’s emotionally heavy. I can’t say that I enjoyed the journey with these characters all the time. If you are looking for a happy-go-lucky sort of story, this is not what you are looking for. But if you want to read something that will hit you emotionally and make you think, give this a try. I would recommend this to older teens and young adults due to language and the emotional weight of the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

REVIEW: Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Juliet is still grieving the death of her mother. And that takes the form of frequent trips to the cemetery and writing her mother letters. She leaves the letters by her mother’s headstone. Juliet wrote letters as a kid when her mom was on the road for work. She keeps up the practice as she tries to deal with her loss.

Declan mows the lawn at the cemetery. It’s his community service after getting drunk and crashing into a building. Usually he just trashes the things left around the headstones when he needs to mow. But for some reason, one day he reads a letter he finds – and he write’s the author back.

One response leads to an exchange of letters and then an exchange of emails as two hurting teens find connection through writing and transparency with one other person in the world. They each find someone who understands them. Someone they can really talk to and say all the things they are holding inside. And they also find that this relationship may give them the help and courage to address some things out loud in their real lives, too.

Review

This was a delight! I read it through in one sitting and when I was done I wanted to start all over from the beginning.

I love these characters. Juliet and Declan are so broken and so endearing. They each so badly need someone to really see them and hear them. Someone who draws out the best in them. Someone who sees past the prickliness of grief and pain.

One of the messages of the story is that there IS help available. Each of the kids has friends and teachers or mentors who want to help. They have to learn to ask for that help sometimes – or to accept it when it’s offered.

This story gave me the same feeling as A List of Cages when I was done. The subject matters wasn’t as dark in this one, but it left me with the same warm feelings from seeing teens find a community that loves them, knows them, and shows up for them. Fantastic! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Lemons by Melissa Savage

REVIEW: Lemons by Melissa Savage

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lemonade has lost her mother and now her home as a social worker delivers her to the home of a grandfather she’s never known.

Once there, Lem meets Tobin who is a Bigfoot detective. He’s got an office and a business card, the locals call him when they see evidence of Bigfoot activity. Tobin reluctantly takes Lem on as his assistant.

As Lem and Tobin hunt for Bigfoot, Lem meets her new neighbors, continues to process her grief, and wonders if she will ever feel like herself again.

An argument, an accident, and an unexpected discovery force Lemonade to decide who she is now and where she belongs.

Review

This is a sweet, emotional story. I went through many tissues while reading this. The author does an amazing job describing and conveying the grief of several characters, especially Lemonade. Some of her metaphors are brilliant.

Tobin is a quirky character. He pushes Lem’s buttons quite a bit. He wants to be in charge and set the rules for everything. But Lem has a strong will of her own. And Tobin NEEDS her. He needs her personal confidence. And he needs someone who pushes back.

The adults in the story are great! Mrs. Dickerson is my favorite. It seems like she calls in her Bigfoot sightings to have an excuse to get the kids out for a visit and cookies. But she’s also a tie to Lem’s mom, she’s a true friend, and something really is going on at her property.

An all-around great story of family and friendship, grief and loss, and Bigfoot. Thanks to the publisher for an electronic review copy, offered in exchange for an honest review!!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: How to Avoid Extinction by Paul Acampora

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Right before the one year anniversary of his grandfather’s death, Leo’s grandmother decides she wants to go on a road trip from Pennsylvania to Utah to see a dinosaur dig site. Leo, his cousin Abbey, and Grandma Francine hit the highway.  Along the way, they see parts of the country Leo never imagined. They learn about dinosaurs. They make a new friend… and lose another. They also grow as a family.

How to Avoid Extinction by Paul Acampora

Review

This is such a great road trip book! I loved Leo, who goes from reluctant passenger to navigator and equal partner. Each character has a clear “voice” in the story. There are only a handful of key characters, so each one gets a good amount of development. While the road trip is supposed to be about dinosaurs, it’s really about so much more. Grief. Family. Secrets. Stories. This is a book that is more about the journey than it is about the destination.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

This is the second book I have read from Paul Acampora. The other one, I Kill the Mockingbird, is one of my all-time-favorite books for middle grade readers.

I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora