Initially, I had no plans to write about The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, even though I had read it. It is not because I do not think it is a good book, or that I did not enjoy it. I actually enjoyed reading it a great deal and think it is fantastic. Mostly, I just do not do well with poetry, whether it be reading it, writing it, or talking about it. But then the book received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and I knew I had to give it space on this blog.
The Situation: Xiomara (See-oh-MAH-ruh) is used to communicating with her fists. She would rather communicate with her words in the shape of her poems, but she refuses to share any of them with anyone, not even her brother, whom she only refers to as "Twin." Ever since puberty hit and her body decided to expand in all different angles, Xiomara has been the focus of a lot of unwanted attention, both at her school and around her neighborhood at home, in Harlem. If it is not the girls and women whispering behind her back, it is the boys and men staring at her and saying words they would be ashamed to say to their mother. And as if in an attempt to make sure those words never result in anything, Xiomara's Mami attempts to keep her daughter focused on church. But the young girl is really not sure she wants to focus on what the well-meaning Father Sean has to say. She wants to focus on poetry. And also boys.
The Problem: When a boy at school named Aman starts to talk to Xiomara about more than their science projects, Xiomara knows she can never let her mother know. But seeing a boy behind her mother's back is almost a team effort. Twin has to hide what he knows and cover for her, while Xiomara's best friend, Caridad, also finds herself lying to her best friend's family, something she hates doing. If that was not enough deception, one of Xiomara's teachers begins to encourage her to join the school's poetry club. Knowing that it conflicts with her confirmation class with Father Sean, Xiomara faces the choice of ditching something she is not that into, and diving into what she has always wanted to do, all at the risk of angering her mother and facing a wrath she has learned to fear. Feeling unheard but always seen, Xiomara must find a way to use her voice, and share her words with more than just the pages of her journal.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel that is written almost completely in verse. Each chapter, if you want to call them that, is a poem, with a title and everything. Occasionally, instead of a poem, there is an essay Xiomara as written for an English class assignment, usually answering a personal question about her life. Ultimately, the point is that this is how Xiomara communicates; this is how she makes herself understood; and this is what she wants to do. The main problem is the person who can arguably be considered the villain of the book. Xiomara's mother has one single focus through the majority of the story, and this is to have her daughter confirmed in the Catholic church. She cares very little for what her daughter wants, and has already decided on the path she wants Xiomara to take. The Poet X touches on the common fear, among both teens and adults, of not being heard and understood, something that both Xiomara and Twin must deal with, along with the fear of not being accepted as they are. And the saddest thing is quite possibly that this fear is a reality for many, even when inside their own homes.
My Verdict: I have never had many of Xiomara's problems. For one, I have been blessed (cursed?) with a mother who has had me pegged since the day I was born. She has always understood me and heard me, even when I did not want her to. I also never had to communicate with my fist, not to say I have never wanted to. What I do understand is the pain of not being heard, maybe not at home, but in other places. And that is a feeling that Acevedo translates well on the page, through Xiomara's words, through Xiomara's poems. And around the middle of the book, the intensity gets to the point that the reader can feel the poor girl's frustration, and fear. The problem cannot be solved by simply opening her mouth. My hope would be that this book gives hope and inspiration to anyone struggling to find their voice, and then make that voice heard.
Favorite Moment: When Xiomara takes down a boy who grabbed her butt.
Favorite Character: Xiomara's best friend Caridad is a grounding force holding her friend together. Twin often serves the same purpose, but Caridad has the advantage of seeing everything as an outsider. And despite them being almost opposites in how they think and act, Caridad is always there for Xiomara, no matter what has happened.
Recommended Reading: As I said, poetry is not my strong suit. But I did also enjoy Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Also told in verse, the story follows a young boy down the elevator as he contemplates taking revenge on the man he believes killed his brother.
Kate Atkinson, author of the well-loved and celebrated Life After Life, as well as its follow-up, A God in Ruins, has come out with yet another historical fiction novel centered around World War II and its aftermath. Transcription follows the life of a young girl and her somewhat reluctant entrance into the world of espionage, in an attempt to play her own small part in the battle against Nazi sympathizers.
The Situation: Juliet Armstrong is recruited by Britain's MI5 at the ripe young age of 18 years-old. Recommended by someone she trusts as just the type of girl MI5 is looking for, Juliet is given the seemingly tedious task of transcribing the dialogue between a group of Nazi sympathizers as they speak with someone they do not realize is not actually on their side. Juliet has stepped into the world of espionage, and the myriad of precautions she must take, as well as the constant guessing game regarding people's intentions, makes this abundantly evident. It is never quite clear to her who is hiding what, who is keeping secrets as opposed to telling her the truth, as who is really on which side. Soon, Juliet's duties are expanded beyond mere transcription, and she is sent into the field to take down a wealthy and well-connected socialite. She imagines this type of work will only last as long as the war does, but at this point, it is impossible to know for sure.
The Problem: Ten years later, Juliet imagines the life she led as a transcriber and agent during WWII to have been left behind, until it becomes abundantly clear that it hasn't. Various figures from the past keep popping up, and Juliet cannot help but wonder if these are strange coincidences, or if the actions of her past are catching up with her. Then she receives an ominous note, claiming that she will pay for what she has done. Also, she is fairly certain she is being followed. Plus, it does not help that she occasionally does side jobs for her previous employer. Using everything she has learned from her brief days as an agent for MI5, Juliet attempts to take on the role of the hunter rather than the hunted. With the few people she can trust, and the various clues she can find, Juliet must attempt to outsmart those that have been controlling the situation since before she joined the scene ten years before.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set partly in WWII England in the year 1940, and partly ten years later in the year 1950. In the former, Juliet is a young, naive, freshly recruited MI5 agent tasked with transcribing the conversations between a group of British fascists. Eventually she is given the more complicated task of befriending someone in an attempt to gain information and have them arrested. Ten years later, Juliet has made a career for herself in broadcasting, but it seems the events of the past are catching up with her...or they never quite went away. More than anything, Juliet wants to be done with the war and is over receiving cryptic notes, while also having figures from her past coming back to haunt her. But what is reiterated to her more than once is that she will never truly be done, and there are people on both sides who want to make sure that is the case.
My Verdict: After reading Transcription, I can see why there was not as much fuss made over this book as there was about Life After Life. There was a certain cleverness, and also devastating heartbreak, that was present in that book that simply does not appear in this one. Juliet tries to be clever, but ends up coming off as more annoying. In fact, her attempts at wit and cleverness can often serve to prove her naivete rather than dismiss it. Also, the events of Juliet's life, whether within MI5 or outside of it, simply are not that interesting. There is some curiosity surrounding who from her past could resurface and why, but when that mystery is solved, anti-climactic is a more than generous word for how the scene feels. Perhaps it is that historical fiction books (particularly about WWII) are plentiful, and there are better ones out there for a reader to spend their time on. Whatever it is, Transcription was disappointing, and often boring.
Favorite Moment: When even the dog, Lily, seemed dubious of the entire operation.
Favorite Character: Godfrey, an agent playing the part of a Nazi sympathizer, always managed to remain just out of Juliet's reach, much to her own frustration.
Recommended Reading: There are elements of this book that reminded me of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. That is a book that people either love, or they hate it with extreme prejudice. I am glad to fall into the former category.
I am so incredibly pleased to have found a science fiction series to follow, even if it is only going to be a trilogy. With pretty much any other genre of books, I tend to avoid series, mostly due to my fear of getting stuck in the middle of something I may realize in the middle of book one that I actually want no part of. But I treat science fiction differently since I have such a hard time finding books to pick up in the first place, so finding a series means there will be more books to come without me having to search for them. Such is the case with Tade Thompson's The Wormwood Trilogy, the first book of which is today's Rosewater.
The Situation: In the year 2066, Kaaro is a government agent who resides in Rosewater, a makeshift Nigerian community that has risen up and grown due to the appearance of the biodome. Not much is known about the biodome, except that it is certainly alien in nature, and when it opens, those close to the opening are healed of all ailments, no matter how severe. But the appearance of the biodome has not only brought healing powers and the building of a whole new city, but also the occurrence of people like Kaaro, people with the ability read minds, though that is an incredibly simplistic explanation of what they do. Kaaro once used his abilities for criminal purposes, but now, as a government agent, Kaaro has become useful for interrogations, as well as bank security, and finding missing items and people. It is not a life he is overly satisfied with, but he is paid well, and it keeps him out of trouble. Until it doesn't.
The Problem: People like Kaaro, or "sensitives" as they are called, should not exist, and they appeared after the emergence of the biodome. Now, it seems like someone, or something, is slowly killing them off, one by one, and this means Kaaro is in danger. While he may not love the direction his life has taken, he does not have much interest in dying. Unfortunately, looking for answers means defying his superiors and searching in places he probably should not go. Using clues from his shaky past, and the information he is able to gain now, Kaaro must charge into danger more often than he would like, to face people and beings he would rather leave alone or leave behind. And if government authorities are not standing in his way, then other dangerous criminals, as well as various alien life forms, attempt to stop him for their own reasons. Saving his own life would be great, but it is worth the trouble if all of humanity may be headed towards an inevitable end?
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel that is mostly set in the year 2066 in the fictional town of Rosewater in Nigeria - a town that built itself around an alien biodome and grew steadily outward. Some chapters travel back in time to Kaaro's past, showing exactly how he became the person he is now. Other chapters include various missions Kaaro performed for the Nigerian government, all of which provide clues to the future Kaaro now finds himself inhabiting. Before the government found him, Kaaro was somewhat of an aimless criminal, with theft being his primary vice. Selfish, uncaring, a little cocky, and not interested in real relationships, Kaaro led a destructive path that left many people hurt, and some dead, in his wake. After his forced recruitment as a government agent, Kaaro would continue to find himself in harm's way, though this time it would not be his decision. As a sensitive, he is one of the strongest of his kind, and is the only person to have ever seen inside the biodome. The book gives great detail of how Rosewater came to be, how different groups feel about the aliens that have decided to make their home on Earth, and how people all around the world, not just in Nigeria, are dealing with this strange turn that life has taken.
My Verdict: Like most science fiction novels that I am drawn to, Rosewater takes place in a not-so-distant future, and is set in a place that is easy for me to imagine. Of course, the ease with which I am able to picture this place can probably be attributed to Thompson's masterful descriptions. There were points throughout the novel where I felt lost or was not sure what was going on, but that could be because of the chapters that jump back in time, back to when Rosewater was first building itself. Plus, Kaaro does a fair amount of travel around Nigeria, while also working with various entities, not really giving his allegiance to any one group or person. Even so, the direction of the story becomes clearer the closer the reader gets to the end, but so does the feeling of danger and dread. And once the book does end, something else that is clear is that Kaaro's story is not over, and that the aliens are not done with whatever they are attempting to accomplish.
Favorite Moment: As tragic as it was, when Kaaro is faced with just how destructive his past has been, and how many people have suffered because of it.
Favorite Character: This is tough, because everyone in this book has major issues, and they are all up to something. Kaaro is okay I suppose, though incredibly selfish and destructive. I do not trust Aminat, his new girlfriend. And Femi, his boss, is certainly hiding much more than even Kaaro suspects.
Recommended Reading: For more science fiction set in Africa, I recommend the Binti series by Nnedi Okorafor. All three books are short and to the point, but with plenty of action, as well as fascinating beings and characters.
I am excited to discuss Killing Commendatore, the latest work by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. I cannot quite remember what it was that sparked my initial curiosity for Murakami's work, but after reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, I decided I wanted to read more, and have managed to keep up with his more recent publications.
The Situation: A 36 year-old unnamed painter has just been left by his wife. Turns out she was not kidding when she previously confessed her weakness for attractive men. Devastated and somewhat lost, the painter sets out on an aimless road trip. But when his old car dies on him, he decides to finally settle down at the home of a friend. Actually, that is not quite true. The house was more the home of his friend's father, the famous artist Tomohiko Amada. This seems more than fitting as the painter feels lost not only because his wife has left him, but also in his own career as painter. For several years now he has only done portraits on commission, not painting anything of his own imagination. Now he is staying in the home of one of Japan's greatest painters; a house that contains the great artist's studio where he created many famous works, one of which is still in the attic.
The Problem: When the painter ventures into the home's attic to discover the source of a strange noise, what he ends up finding is Amada's Killing Commendatore, a painting that was carefully wrapped and stored, never to be seen by anyone, until now. The painter guesses that not even Amada's son has seen the painting, or knows it is up there. Not only has the painter found something that is undoubtedly one of Amada's best works, but he has also unknowingly set off a chain of events that will become harder to explain as the months go by. The painter will become acquainted with the incredibly wealthy, and incredibly put-together (almost to the point of it being unnerving) Menshiki, who is a little lost in his own way, and also has his own reasons for living in such a remote location. Then there is Mariye, one of the students in one of the art classes the painter teaches, who also live on the mountain. And finally, there is the Commendatore, who appears to be the physical manifestation of one of the figures from Amada's painting. In order to set things right, and put everything back in place, the painter will have to endure these strange circumstances through to their strange end.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel set in modern-day Japan. Though no exact years or dates are mentioned, it can be guessed that the events took place several years before the earthquake hit in 2011, as this event, and the resulting tsunami, are briefly discussed near the end of the book. Fans of Murakami's work will spot many of his common themes. At the core of the story is the unnamed painter: a 36 year-old who is somewhat lost and incredibly lonely, having been thrown for a loop when his wife tells him she no longer wants to be with him, and has in fact been seeing someone else. And while he is good at painting, his main source of income comes from doing portraits on commission. Throughout his narrative there is plenty of cooking, strange dreams, old records, unusual names, weird sex, a secret passageway, a dried up well-like hole, a precocious teenager, strange and unlikely parallels, and even a cat or two. Yep, it's a Murakami novel alright. There is even a slight historical flashback, as there is much discussion regarding Amada's past, and what the painting of Killing Commendatore could represent.
My Verdict: It is not my favorite Murakami novel that I have read so far, that honor is still reserved for A Wild Sheep Chase. But I can say I found it to be more engaging, and more enjoyable in general, that his previous work, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. Be warned, the pace is incredibly slow, especially in the beginning, and even after things pick up, the book can still be a slog. With that being said, none of it is wasted space. Murakami uses every bit of dialogue and description to build on or to something. The characters, including the nameless painter, as fully realized and interesting, while also maintaining a level of mystery. And in true Murakami fashion, even after the story has ended, it is not entirely clear what has just taken place for the last 681 pages, but somehow, it is still a fun ride.
Favorite Moment: When the painter goes into the attic to investigate a strange noise and finds a horned owl. Perhaps if the noises in my own attic were horned owls and not squirrels, I would be inclined to do as our protagonist and leave the creature alone.
Favorite Character: I'm not big on kids, and even less so on teenagers (and yet I love YA...it's complicated), but I like Mariye. She also upholds my general belief that adults often both underestimate and overestimate the abilities and observation skills of those younger than 18 years-old.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Murakami's 2011 offering 1Q84. Granted, it is a long one, but it is worth it.
I was absolutely blown away by Rebecca Traister's 2016 book All the Single Ladies. Even so, when I saw the title of today's focus, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger, I was both excited and apprehensive. I was excited because this is something I had been thinking about for years now and knew that the anger of women was something that could create significant and lasting change. But of course, I was also apprehensive because I knew what Traister would be discussing on the pages would not only cause me to be angry, but also feel a bit hopeless and afraid. Also, I knew Traister would approach the subject with unabated intensity and honesty, which is why she is the perfect person for the job.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Traister explores the complicated and intricate history of how women have been able to enact significant change simply by allowing themselves to be angry, and to show it. While pulling examples from history, Traister also looks at the 2016 presidential election and the wave of rage, coupled with disbelief and despair, that took hold of women across the country. But the history lesson does not stop there; in fact, Traister continues into 2018, with much of what she talks about still going on now that the year is almost to a close, and 2019 is less than four days away. With chapters titles such as "The Circle of Entrapment: The Heavy Price of Rage," "How Minority Rules," "Trust No One," "Sympathy for the Devils," and "The Exhilaration of Activism," the book is not simply a collection of events, followed by women getting angry and protesting. Traister looks at why women expressing their anger can be a complicated and tricky thing; how race plays a huge part in who gets listened to and why; who women are getting angry at (and how it often includes other women); why men are so uncomfortable with a woman's anger; and of course, the powerful force that is the #metoo movement. With information backed up by facts and figures, as well as personal interviews and examples, it is a comprehensive account of why women in this country are so angry, and the change that can come from it.
My Verdict: With unflinching honesty, Traister lays it all out there, whether people like it or not, and the timing could not be more perfect. What I especially love is that Traister is mindful to acknowledge that black women have long been outraged about the injustices in this country, and that the majority of white women are pretty late to the party. As pointed out by Andre Johnson, the lead character in ABC's family comedy Blackish - and in the episode that dealt specifically with the 2016 presidential election - black people in America are used to being disappointed with a system that continually lets us down. There is information in this book that is hard to read, and even harder to acknowledge. But unless we move forward, and ultimately continue to be angry as well intent on creating change, the things women are so angry about will continue to happen, and those who are responsible will continue on their course unchallenged. Incredibly informative, but ultimately inspiring, it is the kind of book I want to recommend to everyone, knowing that very few have the stomach for it.
Favorite Historical Figure: Former Governor of Texas Ann Richards campaigned on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. Like many marriages at the time, hers ended in the early 1980s, during the tumult and changes around women's roles.
Favorite Quotes: "Black women have long been the backbone of our political and progressive past...Yet they've been only barely represented in leadership of the political parties they've bolstered; their participation has long been taken for granted. And when white women have caught up to where black women have been for a long time, the work of black women has often been appropriated, ignored, and uncredited by those with greater economic, cultural, and racial advantage." - from the chapter "How Minority Rules."
"Women who are willing to defend white patriarchy and its abuses - usually women with proximity to powerful men and the chance to gain from it, and who are therefore themselves often white - have historically found reward from those powerful men, in the form of sexual or romantic attention, marital alliances, as well as jobs and stature, in exchange for their defense of the very power structure from which they benefit." - from the chapter "Collateral Damage."
"What [Martin Luther] King commanded we too must command: that this not get written off as a summer storm, an aberration or fad or period of hysteria until our demands are met. We must insist on our discontent, not permit it to be muffled or put behind us swiftly." - from the chapter "Conclusion."
Recommended Reading: All the Single Ladies, also by Traister, explores the fascinating trend of women in the U.S. deciding to marry later in life, if at all, and how it has changed and shaped this country.
My first introduction into the YA novels of Courtney Summers was with her zombie thriller This is Not a Test, back in 2012. Since I am not into most things zombie-related, my enjoyment of the book came as a surprise, and also spoke to Summers' storytelling, as well as her ability to keep me reading when I was not at all excited to know what was coming next. Almost the exact same thing happened with All the Rage in 2015, though without the zombies, so that brings me here. Sadie also promised to be tense and intriguing as it starts, as many stories do, with the body of a dead girl.
The Situation: Radio personality West McCray gets a phone call about a missing girl. Sadie Hunter is a 19 year-old girl from Cold Creek, Colorado, the kind of declining small town that West covers on his show. At first, West blows the call off. Girls go missing all of the time. But when his boss presses him to take the assignment, West begins a journey through several small towns in Colorado, all in various states of economic health, looking for the girl who disappeared after the death of her sister. Thirteen year-old Mattie Southern's body was found in an orchard just outside of Cold Creek. With the cause of death being blunt-force trauma to the head, and with witnesses saying the last time they say her she was getting into a truck with an unseen driver, Sadie is sure she knows what happened to her sister. With only a few clues, little money, and the essentials in her trusty green canvas backpack, Sadie sets out to seek her own justice against the man who took her sister's life.
The Problem: West's primary source of information is May Beth, the woman who owns and lives in the trailer park where Sadie and Mattie grew up. But even with May Beth able to supply the sisters' history - how Sadie basically raised Mattie; how Mattie was Sadie's entire world; how their mother abandoned them, and when she was there it was clear she favored Mattie - West is still a few too many steps behind Sadie. Through the podcast he has created specifically for this heartbreaking case, West chronicles his journey through Colorado, the people he meets, the places Sadie goes, and who she is looking for. May Beth fears they may already have another dead girl on their hands, but Sadie is not interested in dying. She is determined to find the man she knows killed her sister, and who is also responsible for one of the worst years of her life. As determined as she is, Sadie may be in over her head, and West may be too many steps behind to find her in time.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel with two mysteries to solve. The first is the matter of who killed Mattie, and will Sadie be able to find him. The second is where exactly Sadie has run off to, and will West be able to find her. In alternating chapters, the story is told through both the transcripts from West's podcast, simple titled "The Girls," and Sadie's adventures as she hunts down one of her mother's many former boyfriends. Even without what happened to her sister, Sadie's life has not been easy. Born with a stutter that has earned her mostly stares, winces, and taunting, she struggles to communicate. Add her mother's troubled history of alcoholism, drug abuse, and neglect, as well as her tendency to bring home men that were not the kind to have around her young daughters, and Sadie also has a hard time trusting, feeling like she needs to be constantly on her guard. She is beyond determined to find the man she is looking for, but she also lacks resources and forethought, often running into dangerous situations without thinking them through. West's difficulties are different, as many people are not interested in speaking with him, and it could be that he is too late. It is a novel about what can happen when someone is forced to grow up too soon, with little support, and only for everything to be taken from them.
My Verdict: One thing Summers has never done, at least in the three books of hers I have read, is hold back, or shy away from the hard stuff. This book is full of the kind of thing we are all sick of seeing on the news. What is nice is Summers' ability to approach these topics honestly, but without gratuitous details that would turn the reader off completely. Some of it is still hard to read, but with well-rounded characters, vivid small-town settings, and Sadie's determination moving everything forward, the difficult parts are well-supported, and if anything, add to a desire for justice, if not full-on revenge. With the switching timelines and narrations, the story could become confusing and hard to follow, especially as there are some things we know for sure because of Sadie, while West is trailing behind and has not made certain connections yet. Also, with a mystery this good, readers can end up unsatisfied with the ending we're given. And I initially thought the podcast format was going to be problematic, but it turned out to be a creative and different way to unravel a mystery. Fans who have been following Summers' work will appreciate this latest addition.
Favorite Moment: When one of the towns Sadie visits receives long deserved justice.
Favorite Character: Javi is a young man Sadie meets in the small but prosperous town of Montgomery, Colorado. He is somewhat shy, but manages to earn Sadie's trust, and even makes a difficult decision despite the problems it will cause.
Recommended Reading: Of the two previous books I have read by Summers, I recommend This is Not a Test. But I will also recommend The Collector series by Dot Hutchison.
I need to read more Latina writers, and Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras is a great addition to DSN. I actually had the opportunity to visit Bogotá, Colombia in 2006 on a mission trip, and while we were given a brief rundown of how dangerous the city is, a 10-day stay is no comparison to someone having lived and grown up in such a place. Plus, the book is set during the years of Pablo Escobar, and chronicles the many horrific crimes committed by the guerrillas. I knew there was a possibility I would have a hard time reading this, but I forged ahead anyway.
The Situation: Young Chula lives with her mother and her older sister Cassandra in early 1990s Bogotá, Colombia. For the most part, Chula and Cassandra's childhoods are typical for any little girls. They go to school, they play, they watch TV, and they look forward to when their father is able to come home from the oil site. Meanwhile, their mother stays busy running the house, which includes making sure the new maid, Petrona, knows her place and knows her duties. When Petrona first arrives at the house, she is a bit shy and reserved, and never seems to answer or respond to anything said to her in more or less than six syllables. This girl from the city's guerrilla-occupied slums becomes an object of fascination for Chula, and the two of them will form an unlikely bond that will complicate both of their lives.
The Problem: Chula's fairly typical and carefree childhood plays out in a time when drug lord Pablo Escobar seemed unstoppable. Whether you supported the guerrillas or not, everyone was in danger as there were near-constant threats of kidnappings, car bombs, shootings, and assassinations of those who dared promise to make everything better. While the dangers were more pronounced in the slums where Petrona and her family lived, it did not necessarily mean Chula was safe in her comfortable and guarded neighborhood in Bogotá. As Chula learns more about Petrona, it also means there is more she must keep secret from her sister and mother if she wants to keep her friend employed, and out of trouble. But what she does not know is that Petrona may already be in trouble, as the situation in the slums is seemingly hopeless and endlessly dangerous.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that I decided to place under historical fiction due to the events taking place in Colombia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Contreras notes that while the book is a work of fiction, it was inspired by real events she experienced growing up in Colombia. Plus, the terrifying and seemingly endless reign of Pablo Escobar, as well as some of the car bombings and assassinations carried out by his followers, were also real events that killed many and put people on edge. Most chapters are told from Chula's point of view, which is very much that of a child who is vaguely aware of the danger outside of her neighborhood, but cannot imagine or consider the full reality of it until it affects someone close to her. The remaining chapters are told by Petrona, and this is where the reader gets a vivid picture of a life that is under threat of being taken over by guerrillas. It is a story of impossible choices, often made out of utter desperation, and the seemingly unlivable consequences that follow.
My Verdict: This is a story. Contreras managed to capture the feeling of being a child in a dangerous world, but those dangers are minimized due to either their distance, or the feeling of safety provided by a home and an attentive family. But opposite Chula's limited view is that of Petrona, who has no choice but to acknowledge the dangers of her world because they almost constantly show up at her front door. The descriptions of even the smallest movements and motions were able to put me on edge. And any journey Chula and her sister made outside of her home felt risky, even if they were going to the residence of a family member. However, probably what put me on edge the most was how connected Chula was becoming to Petrona. Contreras portrayed all of the dangers masterfully, showing the situation for what it was, without getting lost in the details or overwhelming the reader with brutality.
Favorite Moment: When Cassandra and Chula were able to find two girls in the neighborhood to play with. For the most part, the other kids avoid them because of who their mother is.
Favorite Character: I did not have an older sister, but if I did, I would want her to be like Cassandra.
Recommended Reading: Star of the North by D.B. John is another book that deals with a dangerous country where the citizens are under near-constant threat of violence.
Initially, I had no plans to write about The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, even though I had read it. It is not because I do not think it is a good book, or that I did not enjoy it. I actually enjoyed reading it a great deal and think it is fantastic. Mostly, I just do not do well with poetry, whether it be reading it, writing it, or talking about it. But then the book received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and I knew I had to give it space on this blog.
