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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This really pulled together for me in a lovely way. I wasn’t super sold at first but then came to like it. There were some forced emotional moments, but I understand why even if I didn’t love the choice.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
emotional
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
It's 2020 and thirteen-year-old Matthew is stuck at home because of the Covid pandemic. His 100-year-old great-grandmother (GG) has moved in with the family so they have to be extra cautious. As a punishment, Matthew lost his video game console and is helping his GG empty boxes. He comes across one of her childhood photos that leads them to a discussion of her past. Told in alternating timelines that connect 2020 to his GG's past in the USSR in 1930, Matthew is about to discover a long-kept family secret.
This was a fantastic book with a surprising twist that I did not see coming. I enjoyed learning more about the famine in Ukraine created by Stalin and the leaders of the USSR. I did not know anything about this period in history before reading this book.
The book started a little slow for me and it took a bit to feel drawn into the story. I needed some time to settle into the characters and keep everyone straight. Once I had everything straight in my head, I was captivated by the story.
The plot twist was unexpected and made for a great moment in the book. I didn't like that GG wasn't able to tell the mom the truth face-to-face before it was too late. But I did love her developing a relationship with her great-grandson.
Parents should know that this book explores the harsh realities of life on the streets and in the "orphanage" for children who were starving. One child is betrayed by someone she loves and trusted. Some of the characters die.
This was a fantastic book with a surprising twist that I did not see coming. I enjoyed learning more about the famine in Ukraine created by Stalin and the leaders of the USSR. I did not know anything about this period in history before reading this book.
The book started a little slow for me and it took a bit to feel drawn into the story. I needed some time to settle into the characters and keep everyone straight. Once I had everything straight in my head, I was captivated by the story.
The plot twist was unexpected and made for a great moment in the book. I didn't like that GG wasn't able to tell the mom the truth face-to-face before it was too late. But I did love her developing a relationship with her great-grandson.
Parents should know that this book explores the harsh realities of life on the streets and in the "orphanage" for children who were starving. One child is betrayed by someone she loves and trusted. Some of the characters die.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I listened to the first 50 pages and then bought the hardcover and basically read it in one sitting - it's so good! Matthew is a bored and frustrated 13 year old New Yorker in early spring of 2020. His dad has moved to Paris for his job and his mom is always on zoom calls while his 100 year old great-grandma, GG, is living upstairs. Some poor choices, and poor luck, doom Matthew to helping a reluctant GG go through her boxes of memorabilia. As Matthew discovers GG's back story, the reader is also discovering her story by reading about her and two other girls in 1932. Two of the girls live in Russian Ukraine and one in Brooklyn, New York. Slowly, the connections between the girls, and the horrors of the Holodomor (famine that killed millions of Ukranians covered up by the Soviet government for decades), come to light. The necessity of a free press and brave people willing to take risks for the truth is a highlight of this heart-grabbing, heart-rending story inspired by some of the author's family history.