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A review by lattelibrarian
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
4.25
The second I cracked this book open, I knew I would love it. I had no idea what it was about, but it takes place in Boston, opened with a birthday party, and--my favorite (at the moment) middle grade trope--an argument with a best friend. But when Zoe's imprisoned father sends her a letter to celebrate her twelfth birthday, I was captivated for the next couple hundred pages.
Thus we enter a whirlwind of ethical questions: who are parents to keep one another away from the other? Why are black men so frequently imprisoned? Why can't provided lawyers do a better job? Could we prevent this from happening? Can we free those wrongly imprisoned--and how long does it take? Are verdicts the truth? And if we think they are--why?
All of these questions--and more--are explored, thanks to the Boston Public Library system and many an argument with Zoe's parents. Zoe's father tentatively admits that he was wrongly imprisoned and that she should simply be satisfied with that answer and not go looking for any clues to prove him correct. And, naturally, after debating with herself to determine whether her father is telling the truth or not, Zoe goes after some answers. After all, it wouldn't be a middle grade novel if she just twiddled her thumbs!
We go all over Boston and Cambridge to see Beacon Hill, Harvard, JP Licks, and Davis Square. Anywhere can hold clues to proving her father innocent, even though his crime was nearly 13 years ago. Not only that, but Zoe stumbles upon The Innocence Project, and knows that if at least she can find a witness, make a solid case for her father, then there might be a shot at getting their help. However, she has to juggle this mystery-solving alongside her baking internship, which is much less glamorous than it originally seemed.
Like many middle grade and other youthful novels, this book does come with a happy ending--and I'm not hiding this for spoilers, because I feel like it's pretty expected. At least for me, who's read plenty a middle grade novel.
I could relate to Zoe a little bit--I'm lucky enough to not have a (wrongly) imprisoned father, but I've also never met my birth father either, only having written him. So those emotions that come up blazing to her mother--even though Zoe has a stepfather who has been there for her entire 12 years--felt so real and true. Unlike Zoe's mother, mine never explicitly kept me away from my father, but simply omitted him until I had questions. But man, those feelings of confusion, the feeling of having missed out on something "real" (even though her stepfather is real as well) were so heartfelt and I understood them completely.
Overall, I just adored this book. It's an important one to read, especially if you're in Boston and don't think this city is racist. Because...newsflash, just like Zoe says, it is. Not to mention, of course, that the police system as an institution is racist, shopping places (cough NEWBURY STREET cough) are racist, people walking down the street are racist, ...well, you get it. It's Boston. It's racist.
ANYWAYS. It's a fantastic book that takes harsh realities and makes them palatable for younger readers, especially for those who might be going through the same thing. A great, great novel. Definitely worth reading.
Review cross-listed here!
Thus we enter a whirlwind of ethical questions: who are parents to keep one another away from the other? Why are black men so frequently imprisoned? Why can't provided lawyers do a better job? Could we prevent this from happening? Can we free those wrongly imprisoned--and how long does it take? Are verdicts the truth? And if we think they are--why?
All of these questions--and more--are explored, thanks to the Boston Public Library system and many an argument with Zoe's parents. Zoe's father tentatively admits that he was wrongly imprisoned and that she should simply be satisfied with that answer and not go looking for any clues to prove him correct. And, naturally, after debating with herself to determine whether her father is telling the truth or not, Zoe goes after some answers. After all, it wouldn't be a middle grade novel if she just twiddled her thumbs!
We go all over Boston and Cambridge to see Beacon Hill, Harvard, JP Licks, and Davis Square. Anywhere can hold clues to proving her father innocent, even though his crime was nearly 13 years ago. Not only that, but Zoe stumbles upon The Innocence Project, and knows that if at least she can find a witness, make a solid case for her father, then there might be a shot at getting their help. However, she has to juggle this mystery-solving alongside her baking internship, which is much less glamorous than it originally seemed.
Like many middle grade and other youthful novels, this book does come with a happy ending--and I'm not hiding this for spoilers, because I feel like it's pretty expected. At least for me, who's read plenty a middle grade novel.
I could relate to Zoe a little bit--I'm lucky enough to not have a (wrongly) imprisoned father, but I've also never met my birth father either, only having written him. So those emotions that come up blazing to her mother--even though Zoe has a stepfather who has been there for her entire 12 years--felt so real and true. Unlike Zoe's mother, mine never explicitly kept me away from my father, but simply omitted him until I had questions. But man, those feelings of confusion, the feeling of having missed out on something "real" (even though her stepfather is real as well) were so heartfelt and I understood them completely.
Overall, I just adored this book. It's an important one to read, especially if you're in Boston and don't think this city is racist. Because...newsflash, just like Zoe says, it is. Not to mention, of course, that the police system as an institution is racist, shopping places (cough NEWBURY STREET cough) are racist, people walking down the street are racist, ...well, you get it. It's Boston. It's racist.
ANYWAYS. It's a fantastic book that takes harsh realities and makes them palatable for younger readers, especially for those who might be going through the same thing. A great, great novel. Definitely worth reading.
Review cross-listed here!