A tough read, this story of tragedy, magic, and sisterhood does proffer some rewards for readers who stick with it.
Four sisters escape a difficult home life by spending more and more time in their magical closets.
Narrated in first person by 11-year-old Silly, this story is saturated with the deep sadness felt by four daughters whose mother is drinking, depressed, and unpredictably cruel to them. When the sisters discover that their closets are gateways to magical worlds, they begin to use them to seek solace and to try to learn about the source of their mother’s problems. When one sister, Marla, becomes trapped inside a closet, her sisters save her by convincing her of the wonders she’s missing in the real world beyond the closet door. There are many lessons here: that magic exists in both the mysterious and the mundane, that the same magic can heal or hurt, and that it is precisely when trouble and grief make us want to isolate ourselves that we most need to seek the comfort and the strength of those who care about us. The plot, while plagued by some loose ends, is compelling, and the sisters are distinctive and interesting characters. It is the sadness, though, that takes center stage. There is hope here as well, but it feels small and almost peripheral.
A tough read, this story of tragedy, magic, and sisterhood does proffer some rewards for readers who stick with it. (Magical realism. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-235271-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This coming-of-age story about diverse characters coming to grips with their layered identities rings true.
An Indian American boy struggles with his sexuality and mental health while finding a place for himself in seventh grade.
Rahul Kapoor may not be sure about his sexuality, but he is sure of one thing: This year, he wants to make an impression. Inspired by a story his grandfather tells him, Rahul decides that the best way to impress his classmates—and, in the process, to protect himself from bullies—is to pick something and be the best at it. With the help of his fiery best friend, Chelsea, a white girl who wisely, consistently steers Rahul toward being himself and doing what he loves, Rahul tries a number of activities before settling on Mathletes, where he soon becomes a star. But when Japanese American Jenny asks him to the Sadie Hawkins dance, and when his Mathletes career doesn’t go as planned, Rahul spirals into an anxious depression with symptoms of OCD that force him to confront and eventually accept exactly who he is. In his author’s note, Pancholy notes that Rahul’s story is semiautobiographical, and it shows. Every character in the story is nuanced and sympathetically rendered, and the book does not shy away from racism, sexism, ableism, or homophobia. The protagonist’s devastatingly honest voice pulls readers deeply into a fast-paced journey riddled with heartbreakingly authentic moments of anxiety, confusion, and triumph.
This coming-of-age story about diverse characters coming to grips with their layered identities rings true. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-286641-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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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