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It's hard to say who the audience for this book is. It's a very bleak look at a family stricken by poverty. The story is centered around Jackson, a boy observing facts from his life that show that his family is heading toward homelessness again. His father has MS, and his mother works three jobs. Jackson is forced to be strong for his parents and for his younger sister, while he's trying to figure out why his imaginary friend, Crenshaw, is back.
Crenshaw. *sigh*
I feel like Crenshaw added nothing to the story. He was just there. Yes, he helped Jackson realize the lesson before the end of the book, but I feel that Jackson could've learned that through other means, perhaps his friend Marisol. The moments from Crenshaw were forced and took away time that could've been spent on developing the family a bit more.
This is not a hopeful story. I understand that it's supposed to be given the ending, but given the attention that was given to how the family came into poverty, it's hard to see it that way.
Spoiler
What made me angry was his dad's refusal to get help, despite his mom's pleas. His kids are starving for crying out loud!Crenshaw. *sigh*
I feel like Crenshaw added nothing to the story. He was just there. Yes, he helped Jackson realize the lesson before the end of the book, but I feel that Jackson could've learned that through other means, perhaps his friend Marisol. The moments from Crenshaw were forced and took away time that could've been spent on developing the family a bit more.
This is not a hopeful story. I understand that it's supposed to be given the ending, but given the attention that was given to how the family came into poverty,