A FIELD GUIDE TO BROKEN PROMISES

Twelve-year-old Rivka “Evie” Steinberg is determined to be the perfect daughter and big sister.

Thanks to countless moves following her mom’s TV news career, Evie’s only close friend is Dara Freedman. The girls share laughter and confidences at Camp Shir Shalom every summer. Previously her dad’s partner in his cryptozoology research, Evie blames herself for an accident that ruined a once-in-a-lifetime photo, and things haven’t been the same since. Now they’re moving to Southern California, maybe for good, and Evie is thrilled about putting down roots. But on her very first day of seventh grade at her new school, everything starts to unravel. She’s surprised to find Dara in her class—but Dara denies their friendship and tells everyone that Evie’s weird and a liar. Bullied and taunted, Evie can’t function at school. Jewish Evie forms an outsiders’ friendship with Charlie, who’s white, and Hannah, who’s Black. Evie shares her wild idea that this Dara is a golem, and the real Dara must be restored—but it all unravels, with disastrous results. Evie, who’s often mired in loneliness, depression, and self-loathing, narrates her story. Her dad is wrapping things up back in Idaho; Evie tries to meet her parents’ high expectations that she support her stressed-out mom during the move, although doing so involves hiding her own struggles. The premise is original, and readers will sympathize with Evie, but the twisty, excessively repetitious tale is often hard to follow.

An unfocused story exploring family drama, mistakes, and hope.