by Peter Sheesley ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2012
A strange, lyrical novel about the spiritual lives of an ordinary small-town family.
Two brothers struggle to find meaning in their lives in a small Pacific Northwest town.
Set in Centralia, Wash., Sheesley’s striking debut novel follows the life of the Moore family over the course of a half-century. Episodic in structure, the book highlights brothers Dollar and Creek as they grow from childhood to young adulthood to old age, though it also covers the lives of their parents, friends and neighbors. Dollar is a quiet, thoughtful boy who loves nature and is obsessed with eagles. He and his best friend, Elle Crane, remain in an innocent, dreamy world well into their teenage years, and he struggles to find direction. As an adult, he’s immature, believing that his life has gone awry through no fault of his own. His older brother, Creek, is more aggressive and socially adept as a boy, a popular soccer player who has no trouble finding a girlfriend and sometimes bullies weaker classmates. But a tragic accident and a youthful heartbreak set him on a more reflective path. In their 20s, both brothers find themselves lost and unsatisfied, but only Creek is able to claim the autonomy that will help him establish a purposeful life. The book defies easy categorization; its drama is primarily emotional and revolves around everyday dilemmas. Yet it never becomes lost in abstractions. The characters’ psychological and spiritual development shows in their actions, written in understated, memorable visual language. The novel, however, isn’t polished, the 1950s and 1960s sections are occasionally unconvincing, and the writing needs additional copy editing. The opening chapter, from the point of view of Creek’s grandson, is less compelling than the story that follows. Some readers might be frustrated by the absence of neat conclusions or easily digestible moral lessons. But at its best moments, Sheesley’s nuanced portrayal of the inner lives of his characters is reminiscent of such classics as Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio.
A strange, lyrical novel about the spiritual lives of an ordinary small-town family.Pub Date: June 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615646961
Page Count: 248
Publisher: Peter Sheesley
Review Posted Online: Sept. 6, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Marti Dumas illustrated by Stephanie Parcus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 11, 2017
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
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A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Paul Langan Ben Alirez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2004
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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