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A review by modernhobbitvibes
After Zero by Christina Collins
3.0
2.5 rounded up. Content warnings (mild spoilers) for depictions of child neglect, bullying (by peers and random older kids), anxiety, depression, and discussion of family death and suicide (specifically the emotional aftermath felt by a family member).
And with that out of the way, time to risk sounding like an Old Lady Yelling At Cloud, because for real, how can a book have such a compelling plot and yet also be emblematic of EVERYTHING that bugs me about middle grade fiction?
Starting with the good: the depictions of anxiety and selective mutism, and especially the main character's frustrations with being constantly misunderstood and spoken over, were extremely well-written. That makes sense, as the author's note mentions the book is partially based on her own experiences. A lot of the interactions Elise had with her peers felt fairly realistic (though more on the other social interactions later). The writing in general is good and easy to follow, and I have to give special kudos for making a first person present tense narrative that didn't immediately draw me out of the narrative. (Note that this might be a personal thing, but so many first person present tense stories just draw me right out of the action, so it was nice to read one and be able to follow it.)
And now for the negatives...I was going to write a much longer and more spoiler-heavy review, but I realized I'd be dunking WAY too hard on a book that isn't even technically meant for me. So instead of my in-depth analysis, here's a bullet point list of the issues I had while reading:
> The magical realism felt too unevenly applied, to the point where I'm not entirely sure why it was in the story to begin with. The balance was off, since one element was real but barely relevant outside of two plot moments and the other was, so it was too much realism, not enough magic. Which wouldn't be a problem on its own, but it definitely contributes to other issues.
> Elise's mom is emotionally and physically neglectful and never actually apologizes for it. While I recognize that she was going through her own pain and trauma, there is something distinctly awful about the fact that she admits to having screwed up, but the words "I'm sorry" never actually cross her lips. I would've been a lot more accepting of her character if she'd ever ACTUALLY APOLOGIZED, and no saying "Yeah, I shouldn't have done this" doesn't count. She doesn't even promise that she'll be seeking help or getting better herself. It's...a lot.
> While I found a lot of Elise's middle school bullying fairly realistic, the mistreatment she suffers at the hands of Mrs. Kearny (who apparently doesn't know CPS is an option) and the hunters in the woods (whose interactions with Elise and the fallout contribute absolutely nothing aside from adding further misery and misunderstanding that could be cut entirely) turns it all into a Misery Conga Line and not so much a realistic depiction of how real kids who don't "fit the mold" are treated. It is, in fact, possible to put a character through too much suffering, and this book tipped into that in my opinion.
> The uneven distribution of the magical realism makes the above two faults even more glaring. Uncaring authority figures, neglectful parents, and cruel strangers are staples of the fairy tale genre, and especially Grimm tales (which this book is in part based on). But because the realism is stronger than the magic, there's not even a trope justification. There are SOME elements that are in the fairy tale the book draws from (namely, a young girl has to vow not to speak to protect her family and nearly suffers greatly for it), but most of the moments I have issue with aren't in that tale. So they're just...there for no real reason, as far as I can tell.
> The ending felt very rushed as all the wrongs Elise faced are wrapped up in like, two chapters. I'm not usually opposed to neat and tidy endings, but with all the cruelty she faced suddenly not mattering anymore and not nearly enough apologies shown, it definitely felt more rushed than it could've.
> Mild spoilers, and this is a petty one, but I am begging middle grade authors to stop putting romance b-plots that don't go anywhere into their stories. I get it, puberty, having crushes is normal, Elise never actually dates the other kid and recognizes that she needs to work on herself first (good for her!!!) but nothing about the plot would've changed if they'd just been friends. There was no reason for that underlying romance thing.
I don't think this is a book that NO ONE should read this. In fact, it could be a good jumping off point to discuss anxiety disorders, people who are nonverbal/nonspeaking for ANY reason, and the importance of having empathy and finding other ways to communicate with others. I just wish it had been less cliche and held certain characters more accountable. (Also! Finishing this the day before I watched Moon Knight 1x5 made that episode even more painful. So there's that.)
And with that out of the way, time to risk sounding like an Old Lady Yelling At Cloud, because for real, how can a book have such a compelling plot and yet also be emblematic of EVERYTHING that bugs me about middle grade fiction?
Starting with the good: the depictions of anxiety and selective mutism, and especially the main character's frustrations with being constantly misunderstood and spoken over, were extremely well-written. That makes sense, as the author's note mentions the book is partially based on her own experiences. A lot of the interactions Elise had with her peers felt fairly realistic (though more on the other social interactions later). The writing in general is good and easy to follow, and I have to give special kudos for making a first person present tense narrative that didn't immediately draw me out of the narrative. (Note that this might be a personal thing, but so many first person present tense stories just draw me right out of the action, so it was nice to read one and be able to follow it.)
And now for the negatives...I was going to write a much longer and more spoiler-heavy review, but I realized I'd be dunking WAY too hard on a book that isn't even technically meant for me. So instead of my in-depth analysis, here's a bullet point list of the issues I had while reading:
> The magical realism felt too unevenly applied, to the point where I'm not entirely sure why it was in the story to begin with. The balance was off, since one element was real but barely relevant outside of two plot moments and the other was
Spoiler
revealed to be the result of sleep deprivation> Elise's mom is emotionally and physically neglectful and never actually apologizes for it. While I recognize that she was going through her own pain and trauma, there is something distinctly awful about the fact that she admits to having screwed up, but the words "I'm sorry" never actually cross her lips. I would've been a lot more accepting of her character if she'd ever ACTUALLY APOLOGIZED, and no saying "Yeah, I shouldn't have done this" doesn't count. She doesn't even promise that she'll be seeking help or getting better herself. It's...a lot.
> While I found a lot of Elise's middle school bullying fairly realistic, the mistreatment she suffers at the hands of Mrs. Kearny (who apparently doesn't know CPS is an option) and the hunters in the woods (whose interactions with Elise and the fallout contribute absolutely nothing aside from adding further misery and misunderstanding that could be cut entirely) turns it all into a Misery Conga Line and not so much a realistic depiction of how real kids who don't "fit the mold" are treated. It is, in fact, possible to put a character through too much suffering, and this book tipped into that in my opinion.
> The uneven distribution of the magical realism makes the above two faults even more glaring. Uncaring authority figures, neglectful parents, and cruel strangers are staples of the fairy tale genre, and especially Grimm tales (which this book is in part based on). But because the realism is stronger than the magic, there's not even a trope justification. There are SOME elements that are in the fairy tale the book draws from (namely, a young girl has to vow not to speak to protect her family and nearly suffers greatly for it), but most of the moments I have issue with aren't in that tale. So they're just...there for no real reason, as far as I can tell.
> The ending felt very rushed as all the wrongs Elise faced are wrapped up in like, two chapters. I'm not usually opposed to neat and tidy endings, but with all the cruelty she faced suddenly not mattering anymore and not nearly enough apologies shown, it definitely felt more rushed than it could've.
> Mild spoilers, and this is a petty one, but I am begging middle grade authors to stop putting romance b-plots that don't go anywhere into their stories. I get it, puberty, having crushes is normal, Elise never actually dates the other kid and recognizes that she needs to work on herself first (good for her!!!) but nothing about the plot would've changed if they'd just been friends. There was no reason for that underlying romance thing.
I don't think this is a book that NO ONE should read this. In fact, it could be a good jumping off point to discuss anxiety disorders, people who are nonverbal/nonspeaking for ANY reason, and the importance of having empathy and finding other ways to communicate with others. I just wish it had been less cliche and held certain characters more accountable. (Also! Finishing this the day before I watched Moon Knight 1x5 made that episode even more painful. So there's that.)