Informative historical fiction written in a quaint, entertaining style.
Sixteen-year-old Klara must survive numerous obstacles and convince her traditional family to let her go to America.
In 1953, Klara lives on a dairy farm and is the oldest sibling in a very large family. She’s never been off her Dutch island in the North Sea; her abusive, highly religious father fears mainland influences. Her parents insist she must stay put and marry rich farmer’s son Luuc. Then a deadly hurricane causes flooding, changing everything. Thanks to a daring rescue by two fishermen, Klara and her family are evacuated, but their farm is destroyed. When Klara falls in love with Machiel, one of the fishermen, and wants to marry him instead, Father won’t hear of it. With the floodwaters receding and cleanup efforts commencing, Klara must decide whom—or even if—she’ll marry. If she doesn’t choose Luuc, the whole island will ostracize her for bringing shame to her family and not abiding by tradition. But Luuc turns out to be a violent misogynist who will make Klara’s life miserable: She must find a way to save herself, even if it means leaving everything behind. The backdrop of real historical events lends interest to this tale. The relative simplicity of the language and writing style make the difficult subject matter, including patriarchy, religion, misogyny, physical and sexual assault, stillbirth, suicidal thoughts, and mass death, accessible to reluctant readers.
Informative historical fiction written in a quaint, entertaining style. (floor plans, map, author’s note, timeline) (Historical fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 3, 2023
ISBN: 9781553806745
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Ronsdale Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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