April 23, 2018
In December 1985, someone brutally assaulted eight-year-old Emilia DeJesus and left her for dead on an elementary-school playground in Hempstead, N.Y. Nine years later, Emilia is trying to put the past behind her and live the life of a normal teenage girl when she learns that the man she identified as her attacker was wrongfully convicted due to a false confession and is about to be released from prison. The news sends Emilia reeling as long-suppressed memories flood back. The more she recalls, the further she withdraws from friends and family and the deeper she retreats into the fantasies that comforted her as a kid. Sanchez (Because of the Sun) thoughtfully explores the damage wrought by childhood trauma and the effects that violent crime can have on those associated with the victim. Emilia’s inner world both captivates and devastates, and while some readers may not find the book’s grim conclusion satisfying, a subplot involving Emilia’s brother’s difficult but meaningful journey toward understanding and acceptance of his own sexuality and gender identity give the tale much-needed hope. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan.
May 1, 2018
Gr 9 Up-At eight years old, Emilia DeJesus survived a brutal attack on the playground by a teenager with special needs who lived at the group home next to her school. Emilia didn't speak for an entire year after the event, insisting only on cawing, like the crows she believed saved her when she was attacked. Soon after, Emilia's dad left her family because he couldn't handle their pain. Eight years later, Emilia lives a mostly ordinary life, although she still has an affinity for birds. She has returned to school. She bears no physical injuries. She has a perfect boyfriend, whom she very much enjoys kissing. But the attack still casts an omnipresent shadow over her family's life. Emilia's mom is overprotective and constantly worried. Her older brother, Tomás, works long hours to help pay the family's bills, all the while denying the part of himself who longs to wear dresses and makeup. Emilia herself struggles with depression and fear stemming from her trauma, but hides her feelings so as not to worry her loved ones. But an unexpected revelation about her attack swiftly brings her anxieties to the forefront and sets Emilia's world spinning. Sanchez writes with stunning detail, showcasing the beauty that can be found in small moments, in family interactions, in nature, and in seemingly everyday objects. The narrative structure (a limited third-person point of view that alternates among Emilia and other secondary characters) enhances the storytelling and illustrates how a trauma like Emilia's has widespread effects. Hints of the 1990s Long Island, NY, setting are also expertly woven throughout. VERDICT This beautiful story would be strong choice for those who enjoy a character-driven plot and don't mind an unhappy ending.-Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from May 15, 2018
When she was 8 years old, Emilia DeJesus was brutally assaulted.She says that she was saved by crows and acted like a bird in order to protect herself. Now 16, Latina (half-Mexican and half-Salvadoran) Emilia longs to put the attack behind her and be "normal." She lives with her mother, Nina, and her brother, Tomás; her father, Sam, unable to handle the aftermath of Emilia's attack, left the family. As a coping mechanism, Emilia envisions her father living in Alaska, figuratively freezing him in time. During intimate moments with her boyfriend, Ian, Emilia stiffens up and has flashbacks to her traumatic incident, causing difficulties for their relationship, as he is unsure of how best to support her. She is certain of the identity of her attacker, who has spent the last several years in prison, but something happens that leads her to question the validity of her memories. Meanwhile, the elementary school Emilia went to is going to be bulldozed, and she begins to sneak out of the house to hide out in an old classroom, somewhere she feels safe. Sanchez (Because of the Sun, 2017, etc.) deftly shows the long-lasting impact of the assault by switching between multiple characters' points of view, although some perspectives feel extraneous to the story.An intimate and tragic look at how traumatic incidents affect individuals, their families, and others around them. (Fiction. 14-18)
COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
May 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 In third grade, Emelia DeJesus was the victim of a violent attack and left for dead. Now, at the age of 16, she still grapples with the trauma she experienced. She tries to be normal when she's with her boyfriend, but her protective mother hovers and worries so much that Emelia feels she can never be free. Only her older brother, Tom�s, provides a refuge in her life. When word unexpectedly arrives that the boy Emelia identified as her attacker is to be released because the real perpetrator surfaced and confessed, Emelia's world is upended again. Through various points of view, the consequences of this violent act on Emelia, her family and friends, and the family of the wrongly accused are heartbreakingly drawn, and the constant fear and coping mechanisms needed to survive such injustices emerge as honest and realistic. Internal and contemplative, Sanchez's novel may not appeal to readers craving action; however, its haunting quality lingers. Heavy subjects such as violence and child molestation, mental health, living in fear, and suicide are unflinchingly prominent.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
Starred review from May 15, 2018
When she was 8 years old, Emilia DeJesus was brutally assaulted.She says that she was saved by crows and acted like a bird in order to protect herself. Now 16, Latina (half-Mexican and half-Salvadoran) Emilia longs to put the attack behind her and be "normal." She lives with her mother, Nina, and her brother, Tom�s; her father, Sam, unable to handle the aftermath of Emilia's attack, left the family. As a coping mechanism, Emilia envisions her father living in Alaska, figuratively freezing him in time. During intimate moments with her boyfriend, Ian, Emilia stiffens up and has flashbacks to her traumatic incident, causing difficulties for their relationship, as he is unsure of how best to support her. She is certain of the identity of her attacker, who has spent the last several years in prison, but something happens that leads her to question the validity of her memories. Meanwhile, the elementary school Emilia went to is going to be bulldozed, and she begins to sneak out of the house to hide out in an old classroom, somewhere she feels safe. Sanchez (Because of the Sun, 2017, etc.) deftly shows the long-lasting impact of the assault by switching between multiple characters' points of view, although some perspectives feel extraneous to the story.An intimate and tragic look at how traumatic incidents affect individuals, their families, and others around them. (Fiction. 14-18)
COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from May 1, 2018
Gr 9 Up-At eight years old, Emilia DeJesus survived a brutal attack on the playground by a teenager with special needs who lived at the group home next to her school. Emilia didn't speak for an entire year after the event, insisting only on cawing, like the crows she believed saved her when she was attacked. Soon after, Emilia's dad left her family because he couldn't handle their pain. Eight years later, Emilia lives a mostly ordinary life, although she still has an affinity for birds. She has returned to school. She bears no physical injuries. She has a perfect boyfriend, whom she very much enjoys kissing. But the attack still casts an omnipresent shadow over her family's life. Emilia's mom is overprotective and constantly worried. Her older brother, Tom�s, works long hours to help pay the family's bills, all the while denying the part of himself who longs to wear dresses and makeup. Emilia herself struggles with depression and fear stemming from her trauma, but hides her feelings so as not to worry her loved ones. But an unexpected revelation about her attack swiftly brings her anxieties to the forefront and sets Emilia's world spinning. Sanchez writes with stunning detail, showcasing the beauty that can be found in small moments, in family interactions, in nature, and in seemingly everyday objects. The narrative structure (a limited third-person point of view that alternates among Emilia and other secondary characters) enhances the storytelling and illustrates how a trauma like Emilia's has widespread effects. Hints of the 1990s Long Island, NY, setting are also expertly woven throughout. VERDICT This beautiful story would be strong choice for those who enjoy a character-driven plot and don't mind an unhappy ending.-Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.