September 8, 2026 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this novel in verse, sisters Leena (6th grade) and Rama (8th grade) are struggling with their mother's death six months earlier, each dealing in their own way. Leena is constuctins a scrapbook to keep her mother's memory alive, since she is sure the death is her fault, and Rama has developed intrusive thoughts that make it hard to even hang out with her best friend, Madiha, without worrying that Madiha will stop being her friend so she can hang out with Kim. As the school ski trip approaches, Rama hopes to spend time with Madiha and repair their relationship, but is irritated because her father, who will be in Japan for work when the girls are on the trip, wants her to watch out for Leena. Leena is constantly forgetting things, and is in danger of not being allowed on the trip because her grades are slipping. On the morning of the trip, Rama is responsible for getting Leena on the bus, because their father has already left, but when the bus driver doesn't have Leena on the list because she forgot to turn in her permission slip, the girls go home. Rama doesn't want to tell her father about the mishap because she is spiralling into a thought that he will lose his job, and doesn't want to call Madiha's mother for help. She and Leena face a week in their house in the country with limited food, but things go from bad to worse when a storm approaching. Leena has already set fire to the microwave by not taking the foil out of some prepared Mac and cheese, and the girls have been constantly bickering. They've had a food fight after Leena left a kitchen window open, broken Rama's phone, and injured Leena. Leena forgets to charge her phone, so when the electricity is off and a tree falls through their roof, they can't summon help. The bundle up in warm clothes (but don't grab shoes) and head to a shed to try to wait out the storm. They do have some helpful talks about their mother and the reason for her accident, but after so long in the cold weather, Rama becomes unresponsive. Will Leena be able to save them both?
Strengths: I've been a big fan of books set during blizzards ever since Haywood's Snowbound with Betsy and Wilder's The Long Winter, so the blizzard setting was very appealing. This is a lyrical, heart print book that offers an on trend look at anxiety and grief. The sisters don't get along, which is not a topic that middle grade literature covers much, with the exception of Davis' Figure it Out, Henry Weldon. The verse format allows the sisters' voice to come through; Leena does not capitalize her i's. The girls cause disaster after disaster, and their survival really is in peril because of all of their poor choices, rather like Ava's in Stranded or Marlo and Amos' in Hashimoto's Off the Map. Even though the are in danger, the girls still adhere to their Syrian Muslim heritage and try to keep up with their prayers. It's not too much of a spoiler to say that there is a happy ending.
Weaknesses: Since the mother's death was so traumatic and the girls are clearly exhibiting troubling behavior, it is a bit odd that they weren't both in therapy. They both make a lot of poor choices, which was hard to read, but probably very true to the choices today's 6th and 8th graders would make. Part of me envisioned an ending to this where both the sisters perished on the road trying to get help!
What I Really Think: This author's Kareem Between had some topical issues that were explored in an interesting way, but this book was harrowing. Readers who liked Messner's The Trouble with Heroes or Bowling's The Canyon's Edge might like this one.
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