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A review by ethers_elixirs
Riverland by Fran Wilde
5.0
Full disclosure, Fran is my professor. But I picked this up before she had any influence over my grades!
I came for the portal fantasy, but I stayed for the realistic portrayal of Eleanor and her sister Mike's relationship. Seeing how an abusive family affects Eleanor and the way she treats her sister (even when she knows better) is the kind of stuff that breaks your heart because of the amount of truth in it.
While this book deals with difficult topics, as Fran herself notes, that's absolutely essential for children's literature. And there is a great message here about how two sisters can overcome or at least endure their problems until they find better days.
I was able to get a class set funded thanks to the generosity of some strangers and family and I can't wait to share this book with my students. For those who need it as a window to see what others may be going through and those who need it as a mirror that reflects and validates their experiences.
I came for the portal fantasy, but I stayed for the realistic portrayal of Eleanor and her sister Mike's relationship. Seeing how an abusive family affects Eleanor and the way she treats her sister (even when she knows better) is the kind of stuff that breaks your heart because of the amount of truth in it.
While this book deals with difficult topics, as Fran herself notes, that's absolutely essential for children's literature. And there is a great message here about how two sisters can overcome or at least endure their problems until they find better days.
I was able to get a class set funded thanks to the generosity of some strangers and family and I can't wait to share this book with my students. For those who need it as a window to see what others may be going through and those who need it as a mirror that reflects and validates their experiences.