Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're shining the spotlight on a new Young Adult title COMING SOON to a bookstore/virtual shelf near you...in fact, as of this post, it's slated for next week...and I'm here to give you the inside scoop! Okay, well not EVERYTHING obviously because really, what's the fun in that? We're READERS...reading is what we do (among other things), so having someone tell us completely about a new title, that's a no-go situation. I'm just here to tease it up a bit...to give you a look at my journey between the pages, and perhaps peak your interest in same said title. Sound good? FABULOUS! Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice that marches to a beat all its own...
by
Alison McGhee
9781481476560
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
About the book...
After his dad commits suicide, Will tries to overcome his own misery by secretly helping the people around him in this exquisitely crafted story made up of one hundred chapters of one hundred words each, by award-winning and bestselling author Alison McGhee.
Sixteen-year-old Will spends most of his days the same way: Working at the Dollar Only store, trying to replicate his late father’s famous cornbread recipe, and walking the streets of Los Angeles. Will started walking after his father committed suicide, and three years later he hasn’t stopped. But there are some places Will can’t walk by: The blessings store with the chest of 100 Chinese blessings in the back, the bridge on Fourth Street where his father died, and his childhood friend Playa’s house.
When Will learns Playa was raped at a party—a party he was at, where he saw Playa, and where he believes he could have stopped the worst from happening if he hadn’t left early—it spurs Will to stop being complacent in his own sadness and do some good in the world. He begins to leave small gifts for everyone in his life, from Superman the homeless guy he passes on his way to work, to the Little Butterfly Dude he walks by on the way home, to Playa herself. And it is through those acts of kindness that Will is finally able to push past his own trauma and truly begin to live his life again. Oh, and discover the truth about that cornbread.
Sixteen-year-old Will spends most of his days the same way: Working at the Dollar Only store, trying to replicate his late father’s famous cornbread recipe, and walking the streets of Los Angeles. Will started walking after his father committed suicide, and three years later he hasn’t stopped. But there are some places Will can’t walk by: The blessings store with the chest of 100 Chinese blessings in the back, the bridge on Fourth Street where his father died, and his childhood friend Playa’s house.
When Will learns Playa was raped at a party—a party he was at, where he saw Playa, and where he believes he could have stopped the worst from happening if he hadn’t left early—it spurs Will to stop being complacent in his own sadness and do some good in the world. He begins to leave small gifts for everyone in his life, from Superman the homeless guy he passes on his way to work, to the Little Butterfly Dude he walks by on the way home, to Playa herself. And it is through those acts of kindness that Will is finally able to push past his own trauma and truly begin to live his life again. Oh, and discover the truth about that cornbread.
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I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. I mean, honestly, it had its own rhythm...neither story nor poem, and yet with SO MUCH to share. Once I was on the same page with Will, his story became a sum of many parts and things started to get heart-stoppingly real.
I think everyone will read a little something different into the story. The way it's told, how their lives are revealed, seems to lend a certain angular perspective to everything, allowing readers to catch whichever side reveals itself most clearly. To me, it was an ode to life and the misfortunes and smiles it brings. It was a glimpse at the small things we do, the interactions we have, that may seem meaningless in the moment, but have the power to transform another heart. It was about how the simple act of walking, of losing yourself in the right, left, right pattern we pound out on the pavement every day, can bring us peace, a time to reflect on what's happening in our lives and the lives of those we love, and answers...but it can also help us strip away all the funk that tries to drag us down.
For me, it felt like a reminder that everyone goes through things in life...some much harder/harsher than others...but we're never truly alone in the struggle nor the recovery. The simple way it was illustrated allowed the unique format to deliver a story that was deceptively deep, and anything but forgettable. Recommended for teen readers and beyond both to further the enjoyment of the story structure as well as the subject matters broached.
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About the author...
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| © Dani Werner |
Alison McGhee is the New York Times bestselling author of Someday, as well as Maybe a Fox, Firefly Hollow, Little Boy, So Many Days, Star Bright, A Very Brave Witch, and the Bink and Gollie books. Her other children’s books include All Rivers Flow to the Sea, Countdown to Kindergarten, and Snap. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Laguna Beach, California. You can visit her at AlisonMcGhee.com.
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Special thanks to Audrey at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. Remember, this title is set to release May 15, 2018, so mark your calendar or pre-order your copy today!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
