Johnson (Gone From Home, p. 1036, etc.) offers a collection of poems that comprise a single, intricate story of the town of Shorter, Alabama, a place she "loved and hated." With its houses and red dirt roads, Shorter is being pulled down to make a dog track, and Johnson's poems tell readers what matters: the smell of soap at the Wash-a-Teria on a hot afternoon, the shack that hid her grief after her dog died, the carousel horse with the red saddle outside a store. Her whole family is there, in a town "where/every other person is/related to you/and thinks they know/everything about your/life." Her father is haunted by Vietnam; her best friend, T. Fanny, sends her grandmother a carton of cigarettes every year in memory of the time both girls were caught smoking and as punishment were put in the broom closet with a pack of unfiltereds; Uncle Fred has a scar across his face from trying to order lemonade in Montgomery. They burst into life in these poems and glisten with the affection Johnson lavishly bestows. Illustrated with family snapshots, this bittersweet volume will catch the heart of any reader who believes that growing up means leaving home behind. (Poetry. 10-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-531-30114-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A story that sings to the soul.
Elio is in love for the first time—and he has no idea what to do about it.
Eighth grader Elio Solis is only 13, but he’s met the girl of his dreams. His feelings for Camelia are so profound that he sees things in ultraviolet: “Whoever heard of having your whole vision / change because you met some girl?” Growing up in East Oakland, California, Elio is trying to navigate social media, friendships, his family’s Mexican culture, and his changing body—all part of his quest to understand what it means to be a good boy who will grow into a good man. What does that look like when your father takes you to cockfights and your mother warns you about toxic masculinity? Most of all, how do you handle the crushing blows of a first heartbreak? Written in Salazar’s stunning and highly accessible verse, with Spanish words contextually woven in and easily understood by non-Spanish speakers, this novel stands out for the thoughtful way it expresses a young boy’s perspective as it discusses topics such as masculinity and consent. Elio and his dad join Brothers Rising, a group started by Fernando, Elio’s best friend Paco’s dad, which offers them community and a framework for honest conversations about coming of age and masculinity, as well as a beautiful rendering of Indigenous Mexican rituals.
A story that sings to the soul. (Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781338775655
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
A gorgeous debut: a necessary, cathartic, immersive healing experience.
In the aftermath of a brutal attack, a Black girl and her family discover that healing is progress, not perfection, as they strive to replace their sorrow with things they love.
Eighth grader Rain Washington lives with persistent sadness she can’t seem to escape. Even the doting attention of her beloved older brother, Xander, who goes by X, only offers brief reprieves from the unhappiness that consumes her. She wishes her name were more creative, believes her skin is too dark, and wants her body to be smaller. Her struggles are compounded by her father’s absence and her single mother’s work schedule. It seems that the worst is yet to come after X becomes the victim of a brutal attack by White fraternity members while visiting a college with a football teammate from his elite prep school. The attack’s aftermath challenges Rain’s limited coping mechanisms. New friendships and a healing circle facilitated by the school counselor provide Rain and her family the opportunity to confront generational trauma, develop healthy coping responses, and forge a new path forward with the tools to heal from current and past hurts and depression that may be genetic. The clear writing is authentic, gentle, and smooth, successfully exploring complex emotions and weighty topics, including poverty, self-harm, and racism. The even pacing is perfection. As Rain rises, readers are left rooting for her and others walking her journey.
A gorgeous debut: a necessary, cathartic, immersive healing experience. (Verse novel. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-315973-0
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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