I've already blasted this on my social media feeds, but it bears repeating. Stop what you are doing, and put this YA masterpiece on your TBR. I felt a little thrill that I was able to grab it from my local library branch the day after it was named a Printz honor book. I finished it yesterday, and it blew me away. I haven’t cried reading a book in a long time, but this one was so powerful and moving. I am definitely getting a copy to share with my daughter, and probably my son too, when they are a little older (maybe 13 or 14). It is a all-too-familiar look at how young girls carry so much on their shoulders, and the way boys can be wonderful allies but also so very toxic. I am also partial to a book about long distance running, gun reform, and beautiful scenes set in my two homes: Seattle and Chicago. It’s like it was made for me, but I think it’s required reading for EVERYONE.
“She closes her eyes now. Just for a second, she imagines it – letting go. Handing heavy stuff back to the people it belongs to. When she does, she gets the most peaceful feeling, as if there’s a cool and reassuring hand on her forehead. She is safe and OK and the storm is out there somewhere, but not here.”
For more reviews and bookish musings visit http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/