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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
http://mariesbookgarden.blogspot.com/2014/10/after-eli.html
In this thoughtful middle grade/young adult novel, young Danny struggles to cope with the death of his older brother, Eli, in Iraq. He's not getting much help from his angry father and vacant mother, who grew much more distant after Eli died. Eli had filled the gap of his parents' attention, and now not only was Eli gone, but his parents were even more far away.
Over the summer he befriends two unusual young people: the decidedly "uncool" but extremely smart Walter, and the beautiful, exotic Isabelle, who has quirky and creative younger twin siblings.
I actually found Isabelle to be annoying and pretentious. One Goodreads reviewer described her well as an irrelevant Manic Pixie Dream Girl (defined as "a fantasy figure who 'exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.'” Walter and the twins offered more of an appeal for me.
My favorite parts of the book were Danny's memories of Eli, who was sarcastic and mischievous but loving, and Danny's friendship with Eli's high school friend and purple potato farmer and his girlfriend, who come to be like a family for him.
Rebecca Rupp approaches grief with a quiet, sensitive touch, and even though Danny chronicles the death of various people in his "Book of the Dead," the book was redemptive in the end.
In this thoughtful middle grade/young adult novel, young Danny struggles to cope with the death of his older brother, Eli, in Iraq. He's not getting much help from his angry father and vacant mother, who grew much more distant after Eli died. Eli had filled the gap of his parents' attention, and now not only was Eli gone, but his parents were even more far away.
Over the summer he befriends two unusual young people: the decidedly "uncool" but extremely smart Walter, and the beautiful, exotic Isabelle, who has quirky and creative younger twin siblings.
I actually found Isabelle to be annoying and pretentious. One Goodreads reviewer described her well as an irrelevant Manic Pixie Dream Girl (defined as "a fantasy figure who 'exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.'” Walter and the twins offered more of an appeal for me.
My favorite parts of the book were Danny's memories of Eli, who was sarcastic and mischievous but loving, and Danny's friendship with Eli's high school friend and purple potato farmer and his girlfriend, who come to be like a family for him.
Rebecca Rupp approaches grief with a quiet, sensitive touch, and even though Danny chronicles the death of various people in his "Book of the Dead," the book was redemptive in the end.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It seems like there is not a lot of YA fiction about 9/11 and its aftermath, so this was a nice change. However, I found the book a bit predictable and stereotypical in its treatment of the characters, for instance, the all-too-precocious twins in their bizarre outfits. I did like the idea of Eli's book of the dead, his musings about true friendship, and the parallel universe idea. I would also characterize it as a bit more YA than middle level.
I think I had some disconnect with this book because I never really connected with the audiobook narrator. It wasn't that it was badly narrated, but just that I didn't think the voice fit the character as well as I would have liked.
My review isn't the most helpful but here we go.
*nostalgic sigh* This book holds a special place in my heart. At the age of twelve, it was the first book I truly connected with. It was the first book that had curse words, the first book where I felt genuine interest in everything the characters did. In so many ways, this book helped me and it was one of two books that I begged for, finally getting my own copy for Christmas at 15. It is also one of a few books that I'd happily read again.
*nostalgic sigh* This book holds a special place in my heart. At the age of twelve, it was the first book I truly connected with. It was the first book that had curse words, the first book where I felt genuine interest in everything the characters did. In so many ways, this book helped me and it was one of two books that I begged for, finally getting my own copy for Christmas at 15. It is also one of a few books that I'd happily read again.
I love the twins. A great look at grief from the younger sibling's point of view.
An older middle grade book about a boy who’s older brother dies in Iraq. It’s less about a family dealing with grief and more about a 13-year-old spending his summer falling in love and starting to figure out who he wants to be. It’s a bit meandering and low on plot, featuring more character introspection. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beautiful. Almost cried. Would have, if I wasn't teaching while I finished it.
Danny's brother Eli was killed overseas in the war (he enlisted after 9/11). Since then, the family's fallen apart. His dad's gotten meaner, his mom's checked out and Eli just misses his brother. He's started a "Book of the Dead," a list of famous people and how they died.
And then one summer, he meets Isabelle. She and her family (parents and younger twin siblings) have moved into town while her dad works on a project and her mom paints. Danny falls for Isabelle pretty much immediately. She's gorgeous but she's also completely unique.
This reminded me of the Stephen King short story The Body (which became the movie Stand By Me). They're both about friendship but also just as much about the ghost of an older brother (and, in both cases, a really excellent older brother). Which means that as I read this book, I kept picturing Eli as a young John Cusack. (This is not a hardship.)
While this is definitely a story about grieving (and the many ways there are to grieve), it isn't a depressing book. It's sad, obviously, and there's at least one part that will probably make you cry, but it's not like the entire book is designed to rip out your heart.
This is just as much a book about how you go on when you think you can't. And, of course, it's about friendship. Danny loves Isabelle, but I wouldn't call this a love story. Instead, it's about how the right person at the right time can change everything. (And that's just as true about the other new friend Danny meets, Walter.)
(So basically, a story about love---in all its forms---not so much a love story.)
Highly recommended.
And then one summer, he meets Isabelle. She and her family (parents and younger twin siblings) have moved into town while her dad works on a project and her mom paints. Danny falls for Isabelle pretty much immediately. She's gorgeous but she's also completely unique.
This reminded me of the Stephen King short story The Body (which became the movie Stand By Me). They're both about friendship but also just as much about the ghost of an older brother (and, in both cases, a really excellent older brother). Which means that as I read this book, I kept picturing Eli as a young John Cusack. (This is not a hardship.)
While this is definitely a story about grieving (and the many ways there are to grieve), it isn't a depressing book. It's sad, obviously, and there's at least one part that will probably make you cry, but it's not like the entire book is designed to rip out your heart.
This is just as much a book about how you go on when you think you can't. And, of course, it's about friendship. Danny loves Isabelle, but I wouldn't call this a love story. Instead, it's about how the right person at the right time can change everything. (And that's just as true about the other new friend Danny meets, Walter.)
(So basically, a story about love---in all its forms---not so much a love story.)
Highly recommended.