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A review by adastraperlibros
Broken Strings by Eric Walters, Kathy Kacer
3.0
"Sometimes letting go is the best thing you can do. It's taken me a long time to begin to understand that."
Broken Strings by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer is a middle grade novel about Shirli Berman, a middle schooler recently cast as the lead in her school's production of Fiddler on the Roof. When poking around her grandfather's attic looking for props they could use, she discovers an old violin. When she shows it to him he flies into a rage and refuses to talk about it, but over time he slowly opens up about his and his family's experiences during the Holocaust.
Set in New Jersey in the months immediately after 9/11, this book doesn't shy away from the uptick in Islamophobia and racism during that time. The themes are quite serious, but always presented in an age-appropriate way for the target audience. My only thing, and this is a personal pet peeve of mine, is that Shirli is almost a secondary character in her own story. She's the narrator, of course, and she's got a whole side plot with her co-lead and attractive-football-boy Ben, but this is more her grandfather's story than hers. He's the emotional heart of the book, and it's him deciding when to reveal more about his life that drives the narrative forward, rather than any action on Shirli's part.
Shirli's grandfather helps her and her friends draw connections between his past and their present in a really beautiful way. It's not the most engaging read as an adult, some of the writing and dialogue can be stilted and awkward, but overall this would be a great pick for younger readers.
Broken Strings by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer is a middle grade novel about Shirli Berman, a middle schooler recently cast as the lead in her school's production of Fiddler on the Roof. When poking around her grandfather's attic looking for props they could use, she discovers an old violin. When she shows it to him he flies into a rage and refuses to talk about it, but over time he slowly opens up about his and his family's experiences during the Holocaust.
Set in New Jersey in the months immediately after 9/11, this book doesn't shy away from the uptick in Islamophobia and racism during that time. The themes are quite serious, but always presented in an age-appropriate way for the target audience. My only thing, and this is a personal pet peeve of mine, is that Shirli is almost a secondary character in her own story. She's the narrator, of course, and she's got a whole side plot with her co-lead and attractive-football-boy Ben, but this is more her grandfather's story than hers. He's the emotional heart of the book, and it's him deciding when to reveal more about his life that drives the narrative forward, rather than any action on Shirli's part.
Shirli's grandfather helps her and her friends draw connections between his past and their present in a really beautiful way. It's not the most engaging read as an adult, some of the writing and dialogue can be stilted and awkward, but overall this would be a great pick for younger readers.