I did not know what to expect from this book and, to be honest, even after finishing it, I am not quite sure how I feel about it.
The story of Naima (who lost her father) and Dew (who lost both parents) was an interesting premise, and I thought the author would mostly tackle the process of how young adults grieve. This did occur, but it seemed lost in other aspects the author tried to address.
I did not care for Naima’s character. She was obviously angry at the world (as so many kids today are) and lashed out at everyone, including those who loved her most. It seemed as if she was also angry at her father for being in the military (which ultimately led to him being taken from her) and she took her anger out on everyone around her. She was rude and unlikeable a majority of the time. It is difficult to get behind a story where a main character is supposed to garner sympathy but doesn’t.
Dew, on the other hand, was more interesting to me. He dealt with his grief differently from Naima, and his attempts at keeping his life together were more believable. I liked his interactions with his adopted parents and laughed out loud at some of the scenes involving his sister, Faith. I would have liked more with Dew and less with Naima.
Ultimately this book is as much about mental health as it is about love and loss. As a former teacher, I can see some of my high school students being able to relate to the characters, but I did not find them particularly relatable myself. I also think that the emphasis on buzzwords and concepts like gender fluidity, non-binary, and other “of the moment” issues was detrimental to the story. But that is just my perspective. There may be others who love the way these topics were addressed.
While I did not particularly like this book, I would still recommend it. Just because it wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean that others may not find it amazing. Give it a try for yourself.
