Author: lajazmine

For years, Hayley Kincain has been traveling across the country with her father, Andy, in his 18-wheeler. All of the traveling was in an attempt to help her father outrun the demons of his past in Iraq. Now the two of them have settled down in Andy’s hometown trying to have a “normal” life. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson is about how Hayley tries to navigate high school life with a little bit of romance while also looking out for her father and trying to keep him from drowning in his past.

After having Mrs. Phelps and Sonny recommend this book to me, I decided to take a stab at it. I’m happy that I did because it was definitely worth the read. I found that I was unable to put this book down once I cracked it open, and as a result I finished it within two days over February vacation. There was just something about Hayley’s story that kept drawing me in and I found myself lost in her life. 

I loved the way Anderson structured the relationship between Hayley and her father. Instead of having the whole story be about her father’s moments of instability, there were times where readers would see more wholesome moments between the two. These very short and sweet moments helped readers to fully grasp why Hayley was so devoted to helping her father, despite the many mistakes he makes throughout the book. 

With this, I found Hayley’s devotion to her father extremely accurate. I think that some readers might feel frustrated with the way Hayley constantly forgives her father or the way she chooses to keep their situation secret, but it perfectly lines up with the actions of a child in that type of situation. The only person Hayley has is her father, which is what truly makes this story all the more heartbreaking. It perfectly captures what it’s like for a child to watch their parents spiral out of control without knowing what to do. 

I also loved the way that the author depicted Andy’s struggle with PTSD. I found that his mental health was captured in a very real and honest way that didn’t at all detract from the plot. I sometimes find that when authors try to write about mental health, they fall short of fully capturing the struggles being faced. Andy’s experience has the potential to bring awareness to the situation for veterans after they return home, and the struggles they face trying to adjust back into society. 

One of the things I would criticize about this book would be the way Hayley tends to see herself as being something special. She is constantly talking about herself as though the things that she does make her “different from other girls.” Apparently, just because she reads, doesn’t wear makeup, and dresses conservatively, she’s better than other girls. Nowadays, we refer to these types of women as “pick-me girls,”

Hayley also has an issue with judging everyone else. She walks around her high school and immediately assumes that all of her peers are “zombies” who can’t think for themselves or understand what the “real world” is like. I can understand how teenagers tend to be self-centered, but this just takes it to a whole new and annoying level. I was extremely disappointed by the way Hayley was so quick to make assumptions about others, especially when Anderson’s other book, Speak, showed how important it was to not treat others this way. Having read Speak, I was expecting Hayley to be more accepting and understanding, and not as close minded. 

The best books are the ones we become lost in; the ones where we lose track of time while reading them. That was what happened to me with The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson. Despite Hayley’s character flaws, I still found myself unable to put this book down. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book that they can quickly read through, but still find enjoyment out of.

Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth is a memoir written in-verse. It has received many accolades and awards including the American Indian Youth Literature Award, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. It covers his time growing up on a reservation, and his eventual transition to life out in the city. The purpose of this memoir was to combat the Native slur: “Red on the outside, white on the inside” by exploring society from his point of view as he navigates both the “white man’s world” and the world he was born into.

I found myself completely taken with this book. As someone who is familiar with the Native way of life (my mother’s side of the family is Native American), I found this book to be both comforting and empowering. I was extremely happy to know that this book was part of the works being used as representatives of the Indigenous community. Not only was it particular to the author’s experience of living as an Onondaga among Tuscaroras, but it also provided so much insight to the experience of Indigenous peoples in the US. This quality makes it a great tool for educating and spreading understanding.

I think the biggest issue readers would have with this book is its “maturity level.” I personally had no trouble following along, but I could see where issues could possibly arise for younger readers. However, this thought does not mean that it shouldn’t be included in the YA genre, just that it might not be for everyone. YA is the genre that deals with so many social issues, and with such a large age range, this book is a great addition.

The style of this memoir was also something I greatly appreciated. There were a lot of photographs and self-made artwork intermingled with the chapters, which made the piece seem more like a scrapbook. The writing style was also rather casual, almost like the writer was jotting down his memories as they came to him. The combination of these two elements made the memoir seem a lot more authentic and strengthened the connection I felt to Gansworth’s story.

I truly loved Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth. It helped me to remember so many things that I had forgotten from my childhood and left me feeling more complete after I was done reading. Gansworth tells the story of being caught between two cultures by sharing his attempts at trying to fit in at his white school, and his inability to fully grasp as much of his heritage as he wishes he could. Despite its specificity to Native Americans, it is so much more than just being a story for Indigenous peoples. This is the type of book where there are so many different takeaways, so I would urge anyone and everyone to try it out.

Grace: the middle child who was raised as an only child. Having gotten pregnant at sixteen, Grace is left feeling largely alone after being ostracized and bullied by her peers. When she puts her baby up for adoption, she decides to track down her biological mother for answers. 

Joaquin: the quiet, oldest sibling of the bunch with a long history in the foster care system. After seventeen years of being bounced around from home to home, he has very little hope that he will ever be able to experience what it means to have a real family.

Maya: the youngest of her siblings who finds it hard to keep quiet. Having been raised in a family that looks nothing like her, she can’t help but constantly feel like an outsider. Although one would expect this to be a moment where she can finally feel secure in her life, she is still left questioning her place when her home life begins to fall apart.

Each of the siblings have their own issues and secrets that pose challenges for their relationship, but these issues also show just how many commonalities they have. Despite the similar features and their odd love for the combo of french fries and mayonnaise, the siblings also share a fear of being vulnerable with the ones they love. Far From the Tree by Robin Benway is the story of how these siblings overcome their challenges together while also navigating the newness of their relationship. This book shows both concepts of family: the one you’re born into and the one you make for yourself.

I was initially motivated to read this book because it covered a topic I had never read about before. I was largely impressed by how thoughtfully the topic was covered, and it acted as such a very real reminder of the anxieties and fears of those who have experienced the foster care system. I think a lot of people assume that being adopted automatically means that the issues for the child suddenly disappear. However, this book presents the struggles that come even when you are no longer a part of the system.

Outside of the foster care system and adoption, this book also covered topics like alcoholism, divorce, and bullying. I was a little worried when I realized so many important things would be included in one work, but I found that each of them fit together perfectly. In the past, I have been left greatly disappointed when authors fail to see everything through to the end, so I was happy that Benway completed everything. 

Aside from the plot, I found myself deeply connecting with the characters. Despite how different the siblings were, the changing perspectives each chapter made it easy to care for all of them. I also found that Benway accurately captured the essence of what it means to be a teenager. A lot of the time when adults write from the perspective of teens, they give them too much wisdom and worldly understanding that makes it harder to relate. Benway’s ability to combat her own more mature thought process while writing this book was admirable, and it made me appreciate her even more.

Far From the Tree by Robin Benway was a book that reminded me of all the reasons family is so important to me. I was in awe of all of the ways Benway was able to cover a number of serious topics so well while also incorporating truly amazing characters. This book definitely deserves all of the recognition it has received, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to become immersed in a story.

“You so lucky, they say. Unlike them, I’ve never fantasized about going to New York…I want to be grateful for my fortune. But I don’t want to leave our house in Los Guayacanes painted the color of buttercups by my late grandfather, the only house for miles that has survived all the hurricanes. Our house, the one I share with my parents, Yohnny, Lenny, Teresa, Juanita, and Betty, where there is everything I know and can imagine, for all of my life, (pgs. 36 and 37).”

Dominicana by Angie Cruz is the story of fifteen-year-old Ana Cancion, who has never dreamed of leaving her island in the Dominican Republic where her family and farm are all that she has ever known. However, when courted by Juan Ruiz, a man seventeen years her senior, she suddenly finds herself in New York. With the change in scenery, culture, and language, she has a difficult time adapting, especially since she is largely alone. Throw in an abusive, cheating husband, a pregnancy, and an explosive Dominican Republic, and you have yourself the mess that Ana is caught up in. 

Before I started reading this book, I decided to do something I don’t normally do: I took a peek at some of the reviews. I was shocked to see so many comments referring to this as being “just another immigrant story.” I’ve always found these types of comments to be minimizing and insensitive because these types of stories are obviously personal. Of course, there can be commonalities between the plots and characters, but there’s always a type of individualism that makes them all unique.

As someone who has read a number of different types of immigrant stories, I found this one to be the most touching. I was really able to connect with Ana on a level that I am not generally able to. We share so many traits and at times when I found myself frustrated with her, it caused me to realize how others sometimes feel about me. In that sense, it was a really eye-opening book. 

The chapters were also organized in a way where the present was interwoven with the past. This choice by the author gave readers the sense that Ana was holding onto these memories as a way of motivating herself to continue. These flashbacks also showed just how integral these memories were to Ana’s character and how because of this, they would always be a part of her. 

Overall, this book was probably the best one that I have read so far in 2022. It was undeniably heartbreaking, but also gave me hope that everything would work out in the end. I will definitely be reading this again in the future and would recommend it to anyone who wants to be hurt and healed at the same time. 

This article covered the topic of mental health and the stigmas that often come with mental illnesses. Although we as a nation have made lots of progress with being more accepting of those that suffer with issues like depression, PTSD, and anxiety, there is still a lingering lack of awareness on the symptoms and effects of these illnesses. The authors of this article, Pauline Skowron Schmidt and Ashley Corbett, are in complete support of educating individuals on what it means to have a mental illness through resources such as YA books. They even listed a few titles like The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson, which are books that help to make mental health something that we can all understand.

I think this article did a really nice job of capturing the importance of educating ourselves on mental health and I am in complete agreement with the authors on this topic. Although we as a society have reached a point where we accept that mental health is a prevalent issue, we often don’t take into account what that actually means. Taking this lack of understanding into consideration, it would be extremely beneficial if we could see books as being resources for education. Being someone who has their own struggles with mental health, I still find that my knowledge on the subject grows whenever I am able to delve into a story about someone else’s struggles. I hope that in the future people will be more open to using books as a way of learning about what it’s like to suffer from a mental illness.

Schmidt, Pauline Skowron, and Ashley Corbett. “Carpe Librum: Seize the (YA) Book: We’re Not Crazy: Overcoming the Mental Health Stigma in YA Literature.” The English Journal, vol. 105, no. 6, National Council of Teachers of English, 2016, pp. 92–93, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26359266.

Theodore Finch is someone who enjoys researching and plotting his own death, making sure to journal about the final moments of different people from around the world. He also finds himself constantly feeling the need to change who he is, becoming characters like “British Finch” and “80s Finch” who’s a vegetarian. However, no matter how many times he tries to change who he is, he will always be classified as “Theodore Freak” by the people at school.

Violet Markey, a once popular girl from California, is finding it hard to maintain who she was after the premature death of her older sister, Elenore. Being the sole survivor of the car accident, she finds herself suffering from PTSD, unable to overcome the trauma of that night. She finds herself floating through life, no longer being able to connect with her friends or partake in the things she used to be passionate about.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven follows the lives of these two teens who meet standing on the edge of a belltower at school. Although the two know nothing about each other before their first encounter, they quickly find themselves depending on one another as they navigate high school, their mental health, and the world beyond their small town. 

I initially read this book because it had been recommended to me, but I ended up being largely disappointed by the way the most integral part of the book was written. Mental health is such a huge part of this story, and while one would expect it to be presented in a more thoughtful way, it was written as though it was more of a quirk. Admittedly, Finch is an eccentric character with lots of energy, but his bipolar disorder is far from being a “quirk” that sets him apart from “other guys.” I can understand the possible thought process of presenting this idea of how mental health can be misconstrued as a “quirk,” but some explanation of how mental health is more than that is also necessary. 

This book also shows a very stigmatized view of the help options available to those suffering from issues with their mental health. From guidance counselors to group therapy, all of it was presented as though it was a joke, providing very little hope to those who may in fact be struggling with similar issues. I can understand how sometimes people don’t feel they receive the help they need, but this combined with other details in the story leaves readers feeling rather hopeless.

*Spoilers:*

The way the topic of suicide is handled in this novel is also a major letdown. Although I could provide more details about just how poorly suicide is depicted in this novel, I will simply quote Violet’s takeaway after Finch’s death: “what a terrible feeling to love someone and not be able to help them.” This message is something I would never want to give to readers, especially if they happen to be struggling with similar problems. This message alone sends the idea that there is nothing someone can do to help someone struggling, when in fact there are so many things that you CAN do.

The other issue I had with this book is how the author failed to take the opportunity of further exploring Finch’s thought process as he falls further into his depression. Seeing as this book is supposed to be about mental health and teens, I would have expected more internal monologue about their feelings, but this book fell short of accomplishing that. In fact, we are no longer given Finch’s point of view after he disappears, leaving us with no information on his thought process when he’s setting out on his final series of adventures for the last few months of his life.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven had the potential to be a good book, and there were some parts of it that I did enjoy, but some of the integral pieces of the book were written in such a way that was difficult to read. The author partially wrote this book because she lost someone she was close to as a result of suicide, and while acknowledging that, I am sure this story was meant to have a different type of impact. Unfortunately, it left me feeling like there were no bright places to look forward to.

“Nothing ever really happens. Or, more accurately, nothing new ever really happens.”

Still Life With Tornado by A.S. King follows the existential crisis of a sixteen-year-old girl, Sarah. This “crisis” comes after a series of unfortunate events involving her parents, her brother, a trip to Mexico, Vicky “The-Grand-Prize-Winner”, and her art teacher.

This book was a very enjoyable read that perfectly captured the naive perspective of a child navigating difficult circumstances. It illustrated how the truth is often hidden in plain sight because of a lack of understanding of a situation; a lack of maturity. This book also switched between the perspectives of Sarah and her mother, which further helped to explain the situation that Sarah is in. This change in perspectives also helped to bring awareness to the stories of two different types of victims, and emphasized how even though these two characters live together, they’re victims of two different situations.

I would highly recommend Still Life With Tornado to people who don’t mind being upended by a story or caught off guard by characters. This book is also good for those who enjoy a slow reveal of the truth and short impactful chapters.