Scan barcode
sourcerer_supreme's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Disclosure: This book was received as an advance copy at LibLearnX 2023, New Orleans. No compensation is received for this review and the reviewer has no conflicts of interest. As it is based upon an advance copy, this review is solely based on the content, not the typography.
Saints of the House Hold is the sort of modern YA story that feels as if it is attempting less to reinvent the genre, although it plays with formatting in intriguing ways, but its primary focus is on helping very particular young people feel seen.
It's an entry into a body of work that this reviewer would describe as non-model minority stories. In this instance, it centers on a pair of Bribri twins who are struggling to make it to the finish line of graduating high school amidst abuse that comes in multiple forms and settings. Much of the drama of the story follows from the brothers trying to explore their identities and how those identities have been shaped in reaction to the violence they’ve experienced while also trying to decide for themselves how the culture they inherited from their mother fits into their lives.
This is naturally par for the course in the genre and the author does an excellent job of positioning the Bribri identity as something that is not merely a legacy fixed in amber but is something that continues to be actively constructed in the present by members of the culture wherever they happen to find themselves.
For those who prefer some forewarning, the abusive situations the book depicts are battery and some degree of gaslighting, no sexual assault. Violence, whether inflicted to victimize or in defense of victims, is not presented as a glossy, noble thing but painful and traumatic even for those who are lifting a hand in protection.
Ultimately this is not an action-adventure story, the consequences of violence are a major theme but violence itself is not gratuitous in description or how frequently it is directly depicted in the story. This is first and foremost the intimate reflections of two young men who are processing the complexities of their relationships with family, friends, lovers, and each other and the shadow that domestic abuse has cast over those relationships.
Each brother has his own way of coping and his own way of telling his story, which is what makes the book structurally interesting. Jay is a pragmatic sort who presents a stoic face to the world while keeping a storm inside. His ruminations are delivered in standard prose. Max is the artist. His thoughts are sometimes lyrical, sometimes organized in verse, but he breaks formats freely in a sort of stream of consciousness representation of his mindscape.
Overall the author does an excellent job of placing the reader inside the minds of Jay and Max. Their thought processes and experiences are tragically believable. Neither sensationalized to wrench the maximum amount of angst from each page nor so understated as to make the boys lifeless or action heroes that are unconflicted about virtuous action and always certain in the correct and moral course. The author takes a show, don’t tell approach to social and cultural issues, rather than swerving towards cliches, rants, or slogans, trusting the audience to accept basic premises like “domestic violence is real and its bad” without belaboring the point.
All in all, it’s a satisfying and convincing read. As a former teen and current adult male in Western society, albeit not one who is part of any diasporas, I definitely recommend it for the Middle School and up audience. It’s a good reminder that while we face a lot of pressure to be composed and to have everything figured out, life is confusing, and we are free to define ourselves in our own terms whether it is appreciating more traditional pursuits like the outdoors and physical activity or finding outlets in art and verse.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Bullying and Cursing
More...