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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Getten, Kereen

When Life Gives You Mangos

208 pp. | Delacorte | October, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-0-593-17397-8 $16.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-593-17398-5 $9.99
(2) 4-6 Everyone in the seaside village of Sycamore knows that twelve-year-old Clara Dee Henson hasn't been herself for a while. Last summer something fateful happened--if only she could remember what--and now she fears water and is prone to emotional outbursts. Moreover, her relationship with her best friend, Gaynah, is unraveling. Clara's unusual behavior is as shrouded in mystery as her uncle Eldorath, the village pariah with whom she develops a special bond. The arrival of a new girl in Sycamore prompts Clara to confront her complex feelings about Gaynah. Set on an island inspired by Jamaica (the author's birthplace), this story of friendship, healing, and self-forgiveness sensitively explores the emotional landscape of childhood and the complexity of loss. The villagers, each in their own way, help Clara face her troubles and lay the ghost of last summer to rest. This layered and realistic portrayal of relationships in a close-knit Black community complements rather than competes with elements of the supernatural, resulting in a plot that reads like a gradually unfolding revelation. Although the characterization can be shaky at times, and the island setting is not as fully realized as it could be, deft storytelling and an authentic rendering of a child's voice make this a promising debut.
Reviewer: Summer Edward | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

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