⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Harper Books for the review copy of this book by Cindy Baldwin. All opinions are my own. This book is scheduled to be released on February 20, 2020.
Cindy Baldwin has done it again! Fans of Where the Watermelons Grow will LOVE this book! Cindy Baldwin has a gift for writing in a way that is both emotional and realistic.
Annie Lee has a lot on her shoulders. Eighty-three days ago, her father suddenly dropped dead while playing a game of basketball at church. The grief alone feels like it may crush her, and the sudden life changes are not helping. Annie Lee and her mom had to move into a tiny, cramped apartment across town. Annie Lee is also starting a new school, and her best friends from her old school have drifted away from her. To make matters worse, Annie Lee’s mother had to make her part-time job cleaning houses into a full-time job, leaving Annie Lee alone for several hours after school.
With the struggles of life overwhelming her, Annie Lee has decided her new goal is to try and be invisible. She avoids talking to others or making connections to them because she’s learned that letting others in makes it hurt so much more when they leave. Despite her best efforts to remain invisible, Annie Lee befriends a skater girl at school named Mitch and an elderly pianist named Ray. However, when Ray goes missing, Annie Lee may have to risk losing her new friendship with Mitch to find him.
I absolutely loved this book for its beauty and raw emotion. Cindy Baldwin has such a gift for getting to the real and often ugly thoughts that accompany strong grief. At one point, Annie Lee wishes that it had been her mother that died instead of her father. This part felt so raw to me, and I could see a kid having this thought, and feeling so much guilt over it, just as Annie Lee does. I think some children may be able to find comfort in these raw and emotional parts of the book because it can show them that they are not alone. This book is a MUST read for anybody in grade 4 and up. Affiliate link below.
