Not gonna lie… I finished the book. But I promise no spoilers.
This book had moments, for me, that were tough to read. I was frustrated with the characters at several places in the book, but had to remind myself of a few things: I was reacting as a grown person, I was reacting from a place of white privilege, I was reacting as a person who has never had the threat of losing my family. Keeping these things in mind helped me to empathize with Matteo rather than become frustrated with him or with the writer.
I confess, I LOVE YA novels. I think that my attention span is built for these novels. I like the instant gratification. While this book definitely took twists and turns, some predictable, it was a fun read. I often read YA books with the intended audience in mind, from a teacher stand point. I think about, if I were still in a classroom, what students to whom I would recommend the book to read, or how I would use it in my curriculum. Now I think about how I will advertise it in my store and to whom I would recommend it, what other books I can connect this too.
This book also hit so many current events (frankly, I surprised it hasn’t been added to banned lists… LGBTQ content AND making the good ol’ US not look so great…) and I also think that Aleman did a great job of really showing how traumatic these events are for the youth. I always appreciate a realistic view of events. I think that when authors sugar coat trauma it doesn’t always help with empathy from those who have not experienced it. However, I also think there is a thin line between trauma porn (“when graphic violent content of other people’s trauma is shared in the mass media, leading to commercialization and even commodifying the trauma for profit or entertainment.” — Tina Charisma) and not showing the effects enough. This book, I believe shows a very realistic view without going over the line.
We will discuss how the book ends and I am really interested in your thoughts at book club…because I have thoughts on this for sure. But again, no spoilers!
I have really liked getting to know Matteo and Sophie, their parents, “aunt and uncle”, and, of course, Matteo’s besties! I hope that you are enjoying the book as well! I look forward to seeing you at the meeting on July 6th!
I’ll check in again mid month!
–erin j.