Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm back with a read for the younger crowd. This Middle Grade book is great for all kids but the ones from Caribbean backgrounds will especially appreciate it. I interviewed the author Kereen Getten earlier this year. I was lucky enough to receive an arc from Random House Children in exchange for review.
Clara lives on an island in a tight knit village with people who feel so familiar. It's small and seaside so no one ever visits and no one really leaves. There's the grouchy old woman whom seems to dislike everyone but everyone does what she needs without question. There's the pastor that's overly judgmental. Clara's cousin Gaynah who she gets along with one minute and is at odd's with the next. And there's her ostracized uncle who everyone calls a witch doctor.
So much of this book feels like a love story to growing up in small Caribbean villages surrounded by neighbors who all know each other.
It's a slow starter but an easy to read book about friendship with a bit of mystery mixed in. Clara is suffering from memory loss and has trouble recalling the events of last summer which have left her shaken. She once loved the water but now has a fear of it. Clara's whole neighborhood seems to be judging her until one day a new girl comes to visit from NY. The new girl Rudy doesn't judge her for her behavior or make her feel inferior.
This was a beautiful story with an unexpected twists that starts out quiet but leaves a lasting impression.
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