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A review by alenka
A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks
emotional
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
3.0
This was all right! I haven't read Marks' other book, although I intend to eventually, so this is my first experience with her writing. She creates a cast of very sweet and loving characters who are going through a tough time. Joy's father lost his job during a series of massive layoffs, and the loss of his salary pushes their family to have to sell their house and move into an apartment. Joy is devastated to have to move, go to a new school, and start sharing a room with her six year old sister, Malia. However, on their first day in the new place she runs into a girl her age named Nora, and they strike up a new friendship. Nora introduces Joy to other kids in the building and to a special, secret space in the basement called The Hideout where they go when they need some space. As Joy's parents' fighting over money continues, Joy finds solace in her time in the Hideout, and in exchanging messages with an anonymous Hideout kid who wrote a sad poem on the wall. Joy desperately wants to know who the poet is, but they hide their identity. Slowly, things go awry, and Joy struggles with the burden of being strong for her sister as her parents fight and with managing her desperate desire to be privy to the struggles and secrets of her friends.
This is a very emotional story and follows a lot of emotional growth not just for Joy, but also for her parents and friends. Joy is "almost a teenager" although her voice - and the narrative voice - is quite young, and she tries to take on more burdens than she can handle. Marks also captures the beauty of small communities like the one in this apartment building, where many neighbors have lived their a long time and believe in looking out for each other. A gift of cookies and time to play with the dog that belongs to the sweet, elderly woman next door turns into a dog walking job for Joy and Nora. Budding friendships among the kids in the building mean Joy doesn't have to feel so alone as she starts a new school. That, I think is a real highlight of this story - in losing her house, Joy gains an invaluable community.
Joy and Nora's initial interaction is a bit awkward - they immediately share their deepest worries and traumas which feels kind of contrived. The story can drag a bit at points mostly because the narrative feels overly familiar. Joy's parents aren't seeking divorce, but their arguing and relationship struggles echo narratives from other middle grade novels that address divorce, and I didn't feel like any new ground was covered here. Overall, however, this is a solid story that will appeal to many young readers who know that kids need time and space away from home, adults, school and struggles (third space, if you will) to process their emotions and heal.
This is a very emotional story and follows a lot of emotional growth not just for Joy, but also for her parents and friends. Joy is "almost a teenager" although her voice - and the narrative voice - is quite young, and she tries to take on more burdens than she can handle. Marks also captures the beauty of small communities like the one in this apartment building, where many neighbors have lived their a long time and believe in looking out for each other. A gift of cookies and time to play with the dog that belongs to the sweet, elderly woman next door turns into a dog walking job for Joy and Nora. Budding friendships among the kids in the building mean Joy doesn't have to feel so alone as she starts a new school. That, I think is a real highlight of this story - in losing her house, Joy gains an invaluable community.
Joy and Nora's initial interaction is a bit awkward - they immediately share their deepest worries and traumas which feels kind of contrived. The story can drag a bit at points mostly because the narrative feels overly familiar. Joy's parents aren't seeking divorce, but their arguing and relationship struggles echo narratives from other middle grade novels that address divorce, and I didn't feel like any new ground was covered here. Overall, however, this is a solid story that will appeal to many young readers who know that kids need time and space away from home, adults, school and struggles (third space, if you will) to process their emotions and heal.