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The Barnes & Noble Review
Kimberly Willis Holt, author of the National Book Award–winning When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, crafts a moving story of one girl's struggle to cope with her mother's suicide.
Told in short chapters through the narrator's words, Holt's tale takes us to modern-day Guam, where we see how Isabela and her family try to get on with their normal lives despite the tension that surrounds them. At first, Isabela is the "dutiful daughter," tending to her anguished family, but she slowly begins acting out herself, particularly when Mary Kelly -- a non-native from a wealthier family -- moves to the area and a potential romantic interest of Isabela's gravitates toward Mary instead. But when things slowly come to a head and Isabela's brother, Frank, winds up in the hospital after cutting himself, the family begins healing communication.
Holt weaves together a beautiful, sophisticated story that won't disappoint her loyal fans. As usual, the author is keenly attuned to people and their relationships, always remembering to keep young Isabela feeling the pain of difficult family situations but distant enough to focus on her own friendships and problems. Different from Holt's previous work -- especially with the atypical setting of Guam -- this tour de force is a novel not to miss. Shana Taylor
From the Publisher
“Evocative . . . haunting . . . magic.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Beautifully written.” —School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Exquisitely presented . . . stunningly beautiful.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“Heart-rending. . . . [Holt] has created an endearing, complicated narrator in Isabel; she manages to sound both lyrical and like the eighth grader she is.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Holt's plain, direct prose belies the deep pain the narrator feels as she tries to understand her mother's life and death.” —Bookpage
“Beautifully written, this tale reaches into the heart of Guam and touches gold.” —Seattle Times
“[E]xtended families, unhurried lives, the wisdom of elders, the individual quirks and eccentricities and the deep love holding up the surface of everyday life will all be familiar to readers of Holt's previous work.” —Times Picayune
2004 ALA Notable Children's Books, Long-listed
2007 NYPL Books for the Teen Age, Winner
American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults
2004 American Library Association Notable Children's Books
2004 ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Long-listed
2013 Catholic Library Association Award, St. Katherine Drexel Award
American Library Association Notable Children's Books
Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library
Texas Lone Star Reading List, Long-listed
NYPL Books for the Teen Age, Winner
2004 American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults
