February 18, 2025 by North Star Editions
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Sage and her father have moved from Philadelphia to rural Virginia to lower their living expenses after an unexplained situation involving the mother. This situation weighs heavily on Sage's mind, and she constantly replays events that in her mind lead to her mother being absent from the family. Life in Virginia isn't horrible; the two live in a trailer park, Sage has a good friend in neighbor Alejandro, and the father is being considered for a managerial position at the gas station where he works. When Sage gets an invitation from her mother's parents, Marion and Henry Wells, she is surprised. She's never met them, and knows that they have had no contact with her mother after she made the decision to marry her father, which they didn't like. Interested in seeing her mother's childhood bedroom and thinking there may be some clues as to her mother's current situation, Sage wants to go, and argues with her father until he allows it. On the plane to Ohio, she meets a slightly older teen, Marla, and the two strike up a friendship. Marla knows about family drama, and gives Sage her phone number in case she needs some emotional support. Her grandparents aren't bad; Henry especially goes out of his way to make Sage feel comfortable, although Marion is very controlling. She is picky about what Sage eats, doesn't want her to go running unsupervised, and has decided opinions about what Sage wears. She also avoids talking about the past. Sage has a heart condition that caused some issues around the time of her birth, but is well controlled, and running is good for her. It's also something that she did with her mother before her situation spiraled out of control. Sage brings home a stray dog and is surprised when her grandmother is amenable to taking care of it, even though he brings something of a mess to her immaculate, expensive house. Marion does get angry when Sage misses part of an important anniversary party because she is at a concert at the local Strawberry Festival with Marla, and Sage reacts by texting Marla that she wants to leave... but accidentally sends the text to her father. When he shows up in the early morning, there is an altercation, but some history is revealed and grievances aired. Sage returns home to deal with her own life and her mother's situation knowing that she now has the extra support of her grandparents.
Strengths: This was an engaging and readable book that addressed most of the problems in a productive fashion. I loved that both Sage and her mother found comfort in running. While the grandmother was sometimes problematic according to today's standards, she was not depicted as completely evil, which was refreshing. Sage's relationship with Marla was interesting; children sometimes make friends in unlikely places. The mother's problems (which are related to drug addiction) are sadly something that many children experience these days, and the author's notes at the end, along with book discussion questions, are very helpful.
Weaknesses: As an older person, I couldn't really fault Marion for her reactions to Sage's mother's decision to cut off contact after Sage was born. Marion didn't approve of Sage's father, and respected the mother's wishes. I was surprised that she kept the mother's things packed up; I would have gotten rid of every last thing. Young readers won't have this visceral reaction to the situation, but I agreed with Marion that young people should listen to their elders.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked the combination of problems being met with resilience in Wallace's Nowhere Special or Galante's Strays Like Us. It also reminded me of Isler's The Color of Sound because of visiting grandparents and the family history.
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