THE CONNECTION IN EVERYTHING

In Marcello’s YA novel, a smart and sensitive teenager learns what it takes to become an adult.

Amaro (Am) Marzano is a genius; in addition to being book smart, he’s a kind, generous, curious 16-year-old who’s wise beyond his years. His milieu is a working-class, multigenerational Italian family in Worcester, Massachusetts. Am already has offers from Harvard and MIT, and two best friends who offer support and unconditional love. He also has a cruel father whose need for control extends to physical and psychological abuse. Am’s acceptance of his father’s iron rule over the family wavers after two new people enter his life: He begins working for David Butler, a middle-aged man with a house full of books and a tragic past, and befriends Ginnevra (G), a talented mime who steals his heart (“she moved like a ballet dancer, and the intelligence in her eyes was second to none”). Am begins to challenge himself, propelling his life forward via interpersonal relationships in addition to books and academic success. Some things come easily for Am; he tracks down G after seeing her perform in a park, and she breaks up with her jock boyfriend soon after. The overwhelming obstacles all stem from his father, who actively dislikes knowledge and will not allow Am to accept the rewards that his hard work and intellect have brought him. When the beatings become more severe, Am must decide how to stand up for himself. Am and his circle of friends may be extraordinary, but their relatable capacities for love, creativity, and insight will serve as a beacon of hope for any young reader. A few threads are dropped along the way: Am overhears a conversation between his parents that suggests sinister but unexplained secrets, and a late plot twist involving David feels manipulative, while the final chapter that explains it is clumsy. Still, the structure, pacing, and prose are all robust, and the narrative is gratifyingly fleshed out with instances of joy and levity that effectively balance the upsetting abuse material.

A profound and affecting look at the inner lives of teenagers.