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(3)
4-6
Twelve-year-old narrator El has just had the best first day at her new Manhattan school when she gets bad news: her little sister, Echo, has a rare and fast-growing cancer. The novel documents El's sadness, fear, anger, and loneliness as she and her family struggle to cope. Although there are lighter moments, the tone is quite dark as the book confronts significant grief head-on.
(2)
4-6
Our almost-thirteen-year-old narrator has green hair, an unfortunate childhood, and a made-up name--Rydr. Traveling by train from California to Chicago, her backstory emerges. This is essentially a road-trip novel, with various destinations and a parade of characters providing significant milestones as the story progresses. The aloof quality of Rydr's narrative voice becomes endearing as readers gradually warm up to her plight.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2017
2 reviews
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