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mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
I read The Usual Suspects by Maurice Broaddus at the same time as this one and like that book 'From the Desk of Zoe Washington' served its purpose beautifully. It was a quick, pleasant read that kept me invested the entire time.
Zoe’s father is in jail and has been since before she was a baby. Zoe accidentally finds a letter from him before her mother can dispose of it. From there, Zoe begins to secretly communicate with her father. According to him, he’s actually innocent. This is where circumstances get dicey.
Zoe is unsure if that’s true so she begins to research the prison system. The book then goes onto discuss the corruption in the legal system that leads to false incarceration especially for Black and brown individuals. I won’t spoil whether or not her father is really innocent, but either way it’s still a somewhat distressing topic due to how involved Zoe becomes as she becomes desperate to prove it. I was terrified of the outcome because if it was negative I knew Zoe would simply shatter.
Either way it's a mildly heavy read a majority of the time as you are trapped between two awful scenarios; Zoe's father did kill someone and is a horrible person manipulating her for his own gain or he's been robbed of the wonderful life he deserved with his (at the time) girlfriend and daughter for no reason other than the color of his skin. The ending is bittersweet no matter the endgame.
Zoe is an endearing protagonist. I found her actions and motivations - as extreme as they could be - totally reasonable for a girl her age. I'm not sure how I would have handled a situation like this, but I'm sure it would have been with a lot less gumption. Her desire to be a famous pastry chef was well supported throughout the entire book. I liked that it didn't get dropped in favor of the more sensational whodunit plot thread. I felt like it was a genuine interest of hers not just a detail added to tick off a list of traits the character has so she's not perceived as flat - authors usually aren't concerned with if the character actually is flat, only that they don't seem flat.
I hated her mother with a passion. I hate parents that choose to hide rather than have an honest, compassionate conversation with their children. They always say it's to protect the kid, but really because they either feel superior to children and thus, do not need to explain themselves or don't want to have a potentially awkward conversation. The explanation doesn't really matter as it's selfish no matter what. Also if it's a huge, potentially earth shattering facet of the kids' life it is almost guaranteed to cause more heartache long term which totally defeats the purpose of keeping it a secret for the kids' safety. It was frustrating to watch Zoe be stonewalled at every turn. However, I appreciated the realism - as painful as it was to bear witness to.
I want to note a minor annoyance I have in general that is not limited to this book. Zoe has a white step-father, but when he's introduced he's described as 'olive toned'. I hate when authors don't just say a character is white or Black or Asian or whatever race it may be. I spent too much time thinking her step-father was also a person of color because 'olive toned' can be POC coded language and I just naturally assumed he would be. Those words aren't bad words, and I know descriptions can be more interesting rather than being straightforward, but it's so often at the expense of clarity. Especially when Zoe’s stepfather being white does have some relevance to her character. Just tell me what the race is directly and then use your flowery prose afterwards to describe their skin tone or something.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book. Most of it did revolve around the dad in prison plot, but there were also themes about friendship, and honesty and forgiveness, I felt were very nicely done. I think this is a good book for kids. I would definitely recommend it.
Zoe’s father is in jail and has been since before she was a baby. Zoe accidentally finds a letter from him before her mother can dispose of it. From there, Zoe begins to secretly communicate with her father. According to him, he’s actually innocent. This is where circumstances get dicey.
Zoe is unsure if that’s true so she begins to research the prison system. The book then goes onto discuss the corruption in the legal system that leads to false incarceration especially for Black and brown individuals. I won’t spoil whether or not her father is really innocent, but either way it’s still a somewhat distressing topic due to how involved Zoe becomes as she becomes desperate to prove it. I was terrified of the outcome because if it was negative I knew Zoe would simply shatter.
Either way it's a mildly heavy read a majority of the time as you are trapped between two awful scenarios; Zoe's father did kill someone and is a horrible person manipulating her for his own gain or he's been robbed of the wonderful life he deserved with his (at the time) girlfriend and daughter for no reason other than the color of his skin. The ending is bittersweet no matter the endgame.
Zoe is an endearing protagonist. I found her actions and motivations - as extreme as they could be - totally reasonable for a girl her age. I'm not sure how I would have handled a situation like this, but I'm sure it would have been with a lot less gumption. Her desire to be a famous pastry chef was well supported throughout the entire book. I liked that it didn't get dropped in favor of the more sensational whodunit plot thread. I felt like it was a genuine interest of hers not just a detail added to tick off a list of traits the character has so she's not perceived as flat - authors usually aren't concerned with if the character actually is flat, only that they don't seem flat.
I hated her mother with a passion. I hate parents that choose to hide rather than have an honest, compassionate conversation with their children. They always say it's to protect the kid, but really because they either feel superior to children and thus, do not need to explain themselves or don't want to have a potentially awkward conversation. The explanation doesn't really matter as it's selfish no matter what. Also if it's a huge, potentially earth shattering facet of the kids' life it is almost guaranteed to cause more heartache long term which totally defeats the purpose of keeping it a secret for the kids' safety. It was frustrating to watch Zoe be stonewalled at every turn. However, I appreciated the realism - as painful as it was to bear witness to.
I want to note a minor annoyance I have in general that is not limited to this book. Zoe has a white step-father, but when he's introduced he's described as 'olive toned'. I hate when authors don't just say a character is white or Black or Asian or whatever race it may be. I spent too much time thinking her step-father was also a person of color because 'olive toned' can be POC coded language and I just naturally assumed he would be. Those words aren't bad words, and I know descriptions can be more interesting rather than being straightforward, but it's so often at the expense of clarity. Especially when Zoe’s stepfather being white does have some relevance to her character. Just tell me what the race is directly and then use your flowery prose afterwards to describe their skin tone or something.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book. Most of it did revolve around the dad in prison plot, but there were also themes about friendship, and honesty and forgiveness, I felt were very nicely done. I think this is a good book for kids. I would definitely recommend it.
reader4evr's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this one plus the narrator is really good!
appaloosa05's review against another edition
4.0
Authentic voice, engaging story, well-developed characters. I really enjoyed this one.
vtsarahd's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed Zoe and especially her baking. A bit much for many fourth graders, especially with the nuances of alibi witnesses, Innocence Project, etc.
alli_thebookgiraffe's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book in one sitting. I wish it were longer! I wanted to see the MC actually go onto the baking show! However, this book is a perfect mix of everything I love in books. I love to see books with food in them, I love literary fiction, and I love middle grade books. I know this author has a book coming out this year. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of it.
webberinr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
reeyabeegale's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me cry!
I can’t even begin to imagine the emotional turmoil of the wrongfully convicted people and their families. It truly hurts to know that there’s not enough justice in this world to keep the peace and preserve innocence of individuals.
I was deeply affected by how realistic the emotions of Marcus is as he corresponds with his estranged twelve year old daughter. It was so strong and impactful, I can feel his love for Zoe jumping off the pages of his letters.
Realistically, I think this can be traumatic for some children and their guardians, but it was nice to see that the author made Zoe to be a mature 12-year old. She was strong-willed and was willing to do the right thing to uncover the truth.
I think the only downside I saw in this book is the lack of enough impact towards the end. It wrapped up so quickly that I almost got an emotional whiplash, I was crying over their first meeting and I was still tear-stained when I got to the epilogue — I don’t think the ending is forced but I wish I could have had a few more chapters before the epilogue.
Nonetheless, this is a strong and inspirational middle-grade book. I really enjoyed it!
I can’t even begin to imagine the emotional turmoil of the wrongfully convicted people and their families. It truly hurts to know that there’s not enough justice in this world to keep the peace and preserve innocence of individuals.
I was deeply affected by how realistic the emotions of Marcus is as he corresponds with his estranged twelve year old daughter. It was so strong and impactful, I can feel his love for Zoe jumping off the pages of his letters.
Realistically, I think this can be traumatic for some children and their guardians, but it was nice to see that the author made Zoe to be a mature 12-year old. She was strong-willed and was willing to do the right thing to uncover the truth.
I think the only downside I saw in this book is the lack of enough impact towards the end. It wrapped up so quickly that I almost got an emotional whiplash, I was crying over their first meeting and I was still tear-stained when I got to the epilogue — I don’t think the ending is forced but I wish I could have had a few more chapters before the epilogue.
Nonetheless, this is a strong and inspirational middle-grade book. I really enjoyed it!
anicesogiar's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
marieintheraw's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite middle grades I've read recently.
roseleaf24's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't realize this book, which I came across because it's getting Newbery buzz this year, would tie in so well with the nonfiction reading I've been doing lately. This middle grade novel is a personal tale of the mistakes that our justice system can make. Marks did an excellent job of putting this in the eyes of a twelve-year-old who has never known her father, though I think it likely that most twelve-year-olds now would have a slightly more developed view of Black Lives Matter than she does. This book both celebrates black joy, and brings racism to light.