The Pages

 Tell me a story...about a book’s place in history 

The Pages by Hugo Hamilton

Publication date: February 1, 2022

Date read: May 30, 2022

Joseph Roth’s novel, Rebellion, was written in 1924 and was banned and burned by the Nazis in Germany. This novel, The Pages, follows a copy of Roth’s book that was stolen from a book-burning in 1933, and owned by a man who drew a map into the back page of the book. When it makes its way to Lena, in the present day, she decides to travel to Germany and see if she can find the location drawn in the back of the book. 

I don’t even know if that’s a good description of the book, but it’s the best I can do. This book jumps around a lot - from Joseph Roth and his mentally ill wife, to the men who stole the book from the burning, and into the present, where it follows artist Lena and immigrant Armin. There is very little in the way of plot - the search for the location of the map being really the only solid action - but rather just follows these characters (and a few others) throughout their day to day lives.

I liked the concept of using the book itself as a narrator, and sometimes it paid off by giving the reader a really unique third person perspective. Other times it just seemed disjointed. And others, it just played out like a normal omniscient third person narrator. 

The writing in this book is very pretty and descriptive, and not in a way that gets overdone. The problem, for me, is that the lack of plot and jumping around between characters left me not caring enough about any of the characters. I didn’t feel like I spent enough time with anyone to really care about them, and since we didn’t get anyone’s internal thoughts or feelings, it left a little cold. 

The book did start to pick up for me around the 85% mark, and I thought the ending was strong (if incredibly sad). It just, unfortunately, wasn’t enough of a payoff for me to rate this one very high. I liked what it was trying to do, and I hope that there are readers out there who will love it. It just didn’t work for me. 

Rating: 2/5 stars 

Trigger warning: suicide (mentioned), drug overdose, locking up mental health patient against their will, elder abuse, threatened violence against children, domestic abuse, execution, the Holocaust

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Shine On, Luz Veliz!

 Tell me a story...about finding your identity 

Shine On, Luz Veliz! by Rebecca Balcarcel

Publication date: May 3, 2022

Date read: May 9, 2022

Middle schooler Luz (pronounced Loose) was a soccer phenom, until an injury forced her to give up the game. Since her only friends were soccer girls, and it was even the only way she really connected to her dad, she’s stuck now trying to figure out what her new identity is, outside of soccer. Complicating things even more, is a half-sister in Guatemala that she didn’t know about, who suddenly has to come live with them. Now Luz has to navigate a new family dynamic in addition to deciding if she wants to sit on the sidelines of soccer or find another passion. 

It’s been a while since I’ve read a middle grade story, and the innocence of the drama is kind of refreshing. Not to say that there isn’t real drama - Luz goes through a lot in this book - but the way the characters deal with the drama is definitely appropriate for their age. 

The book surprised me (but in a good way), by starting after Luz’s injury. She’s already dealt, off-page, with the difficulties of recovering from her injury and having to stop playing soccer. I think if the book tried to include this it would have, in addition to just being too long, been too many issues for us to have focused on. Instead it dealt with Luz trying to find her new place in the world, having already realized that her old place is no longer there. 

My only complaint about this book is how much I disliked Luz’s father. I don’t know if we were supposed to have felt more sympathy for him at the end, but I really didn’t. He made his child feel alienated and like all she had to offer was soccer, and made things especially difficult for her once Solana arrived. He wasn’t abusive, but he definitely wasn’t a good dad.

I thought Luz was a wonderful character throughout. Immature enough to be believable as a middle schooler, but never annoying. And I liked how she was able to change her opinions on people and situations fairly quickly, after getting a glimpse of a difference side. Ahh, the innocence, and the ability to change your opinion without digging in and being stubborn.

This was a really sweet book that also dealt with heavy issues like deportation and death. Definitely recommended for middle grade readers, especially young girls who will enjoy reading about an average (in a good way) female protagonist. Also a great intro to how STEAM programs are for everyone. I hope this one gets a spot on middle school reading lists in the future. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Trigger warning: death of a parent, deportation (discussed), murder (discussed), gang violence (discussed)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.