KARMA & THE SEVEN CUPS

A 12-year-old boy undertakes an adventure to save his ailing older sister in Ryan’s middle-grade debut.

Karma Connor’s family in Alexandria, Virginia, hasn’t had it easy. His mother died just two years ago, and his older sister’s sickle cell disease is a constant worry; Kelsey suffers “pain crises” when sickle-shaped blood cells get caught in her blood vessels, which can happen at any given moment. A bone marrow transplant would help, but it isn’t a necessity, since her pain crises can be managed with a healthy diet and exercise. Karma, however, has noticed that his sister’s symptoms are getting harder to control, even if Kelsey and their dad won’t talk about it. Karma can’t be a donor, since his sister was adopted when she was still a baby. But there’s a chance he can track down a viable donor—and what better place to start than tracking down Kelsey’s birth mother? Karma ultimately decides that his best option is a lengthy bus ride west to talk face to face with Kelsey’s blood relatives. He’ll have to go it alone, as his father won’t approve. He’ll have myriad challenges to face along the way; not only is Karma noticeably young, he also has dyslexia and stutters when he’s nervous or excited, which he’s bound to be for the entirety of this trip. Solace comes in the form of a dream about his late mother, in which she urges him to find a series of cups—signs that may guide Karma to the home of someone willing to help Kelsey.

Ryan’s earnest tale features likable characters, particularly in the case of the tween protagonist. Karma displays an inquisitive nature that’s infectious; he asks a lot of questions and isn’t afraid to admit it when he doesn’t understand something. He has some grit, as his dyslexia and stuttering are obstacles that he overcomes on a daily basis. He’s also an appealingly smart kid: His breezy first-person narration is chock-full of informational tidbits as he defines bigger words, proves he knows his capital cities, and explains things like Kelsey’s blood disorder and a magic trick he’s learned. The rest of the cast shines with comparable brightness—Kelsey is a loving big sister who endures bouts of “intense pain” in relative silence, and Karma runs across several kindly people on his excursion. Of course, the bus trip isn’t always a joyride; some people can seem a little scary, particularly to a boy so young, and the complicated logistics of switching buses during the long journey would unnerve anyone. The author’s concise prose perfectly captures Karma’s energy and his tendency to muse: “We enter a tunnel with lights on the ceiling and I close my eyes and count them through my closed eyelids. If I didn’t know any better, I’d guess it was a single light, blinking on and off.” Leigh’s nuanced black-and-white illustrations aptly showcase Karma, who’s physically slight even for a 12-year-old, especially when seen next to an adult or knocking at the door of a house towering over him.

A young, fittingly named hero electrifies this story of resolve and family love.