★ 07/04/2016
After the trauma of witnessing her father have a stroke, 13-year-old Claire Goldsmith and her family struggle with their new reality. Claire must simultaneously navigate dance-class drama, getting braces (which still manages to feel like the worst day of her life even after her father’s affliction), and boys, including former friends and her frustratingly perfect older brother. Told from Claire’s perspective, Sonnenblick’s story delivers an achingly vivid portrayal of her wide range of emotions as her father returns home still recovering, suffering from aphasia and having trouble with simple tasks like eating with a fork. Claire is a bluntly honest narrator, never holding back even when anger turns to depression and her father starts to waste away (“If I were being a hundred percent honest, I couldn’t really say I was thankful he was alive in this condition”). But Sonnenblick (After Ever After) incorporates a message of hope, too: Claire’s ordeal gives her new appreciation for the power of music and a more empathic view of those around her. It’s a powerful and profound look at a family coping with unexpected change. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)
Praise for DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE:"A brave book . . . Jordan Sonnenblick carries it off with such charm and elan, you forget for a moment your heart is breaking." — Frank McCourt, author of ANGELA'S ASHES* "Sonnenblick shows that even in the midst of tragedy, life goes on, love can flower, and the one thing you can always change is yourself." — BOOKLIST, starred review"The reader falls in love with the brothers, laughing and crying by turns and rooting for both of them until it almost hurts." – KIRKUS REVIEWSPraise for AFTER EVER AFTER:* "As hilarious as it is tragic, and as honest as it is hopeful, don't confuse this book with inspirational reading. It's irresistible reading.” – BOOKLIST, starred review* “Sonnenblick's intimate first-person tale of survival is a solid stand-alone novel that will leave an emotional, uplifting imprint on readers." – SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review“Told with Sonnenblick's trademark self-deprecating humor, this stand-alone tween narrative slots neatly into the space between the author's YA and J titles, sensitively dealing with issues of family, friendship and death in a way that will appeal to middle-grade students. Recommended for fans and new readers alike.” – KIRKUS REVIEWS
07/01/2016
Gr 6–8—Claire Goldsmith has been living a relatively cursed life, at least in her opinion. Her dance friends have all moved up a level, but she's stayed the same. Eighth grade is nightmarish thanks to mean girls and an even meaner boy. At home, her parents and older brother aren't exactly sympathetic to her plight. But one morning Claire's life goes from bad to worse when her dad has a stroke. Now Claire has to deal with dance and middle school drama and the emotional trauma that comes from watching her once strong father deal with the aftermath of his medical condition. The protagonist is a realistic 13-year-old; her struggles with bullies and friends and her attempts to get out of her brother's shadow are relatable. However, while the novel centers on the ways a stroke can affect the dynamics of a family, the story does not go very deep. The writing is only surface level; readers are told more than shown. The plot seems to meander among Claire's life at school, her dancing, and her situation at home, but a balance is never quite met. VERDICT This novel may resonate with some readers but is more of a supplemental purchase.—Paige Garrison, Augusta Richmond County Library System, GA
When Claire started eighth grade, she expected the challenges of homework and social pressures and braced herself for changes in her extracurricular activities. But she was totally unprepared to be the only one at home when her father suffered a life-altering stroke. With impeccable timing and a varied delivery, narrator Miriam Volle turns the spotlight on the young teen's primary coping mechanisms: her spunky personality and quick wit. Volle's informal style reflects Claire's internal dialogue as she struggles to understand her beloved father's prognosis and her own coming-of-age. Because Volle's voice comes across as quite young, listeners may have to remind themselves that Claire is nearer young adult than child. But they'll have no trouble rooting for a happy ending to this engaging audiobook. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
When Claire started eighth grade, she expected the challenges of homework and social pressures and braced herself for changes in her extracurricular activities. But she was totally unprepared to be the only one at home when her father suffered a life-altering stroke. With impeccable timing and a varied delivery, narrator Miriam Volle turns the spotlight on the young teen's primary coping mechanisms: her spunky personality and quick wit. Volle's informal style reflects Claire's internal dialogue as she struggles to understand her beloved father's prognosis and her own coming-of-age. Because Volle's voice comes across as quite young, listeners may have to remind themselves that Claire is nearer young adult than child. But they'll have no trouble rooting for a happy ending to this engaging audiobook. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
★ 2016-06-01
When Claire's family is turned upside down, her friends—and enemies—become a surprising source of support.Eighth grade is tough enough for Claire without new problems, including a prominent zit appearing on the first day of school and watching her friends at dance school move into advanced levels while she stays behind. But these problems fade in significance when her novelist father keels over during breakfast one morning. Her father's stroke means even more changes: the house is different, the looks of pity she gets are unfamiliar, and her father has changed. But he's still there—isn't he? With humor, grace, and an ear for middle school nuance, Sonnenblick navigates the tricky waters of eighth grade and manages to convey the heartbreak of a major tragedy alongside the more mundane, but no less horrifying, problems, such as getting your period while wearing white marching-band pants. Her dad's stroke serves as both a main source of anguish and a backdrop against which Claire explores all the relationships in her life, including the ones she has with her brother, her two best dance friends, her best school friend, and others she never knew were friends (including Latina Regina, who calls Claire "Starbuck" because, she says, "all white girls love Starbucks"). Authentic, funny, dramatic, fantastic. (Fiction. 10-14)
