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A review by whitneyfi
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
4.0
I read The Lost Year for a 2025 Intermediate Battle of the Books selection.
What I love most about reading with my kid for Battle of the Books is the provided foundation by which to talk to him about serious topics, because at least one selection each year has proven to be an emotional load. An added benefit to that connection, and discussions of, are learning about history and experiences myself. I had no idea about the Holodomor, and have told so many about it since picking up this book. A reminder that certain parts of history aren't normally taught in this part of the world.
The Lost Year is the story of Matthew, a 13 year old boy grounded from his Nintendo Switch, who has been tasked with helping his great grandmother, GG, unpack her boxes after she was unwillingly moved from her retirement home into a house with her granddaughter. It takes place in 2020, during the worst of Covid, when it took over the world, and we were all (well, mostly all) social distancing. She begins to recall her own lost year at 13, one that she experienced in 1933, that ultimately brought her to the United States, a weaponized famine used as a tool of genocide that tore her world apart, and cost her the ones she loved.
I would highly recommend parents reading this book with their kids, because it is an emotionally deep hit, and for context I think it's best to experience it along with them. The book brought both my son and me to tears.
What I love most about reading with my kid for Battle of the Books is the provided foundation by which to talk to him about serious topics, because at least one selection each year has proven to be an emotional load. An added benefit to that connection, and discussions of, are learning about history and experiences myself. I had no idea about the Holodomor, and have told so many about it since picking up this book. A reminder that certain parts of history aren't normally taught in this part of the world.
The Lost Year is the story of Matthew, a 13 year old boy grounded from his Nintendo Switch, who has been tasked with helping his great grandmother, GG, unpack her boxes after she was unwillingly moved from her retirement home into a house with her granddaughter. It takes place in 2020, during the worst of Covid, when it took over the world, and we were all (well, mostly all) social distancing. She begins to recall her own lost year at 13, one that she experienced in 1933, that ultimately brought her to the United States, a weaponized famine used as a tool of genocide that tore her world apart, and cost her the ones she loved.
I would highly recommend parents reading this book with their kids, because it is an emotionally deep hit, and for context I think it's best to experience it along with them. The book brought both my son and me to tears.