Taylor Before and After by Jennie Englund
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” ~ Ferris Bueller
Taylor and her family have moved to Hawaii. Struggling to make friends, besides her best friend, Li Lu, she watches her brother, Eli make friends instantaneously. Eli and his friends, like so many in Hawaii, are addicted to the waves. Riding a board makes his life complete. Watching his group of friends makes Taylor in an odd way complete. But life is not complete at all, what happens in front of others is not what is happening behind the scenes in her home. Eli struggles with the authority of his father, goes places that he shouldn't, breaks curfew all the time. Taylor worries constantly about everything happening in her family. Finally, Taylor becomes friends with the most popular girls in school sadly at the expense of Li Lu.
Taylor Before and After goes beyond trying to fit in and the loner girl becomes part of the popular type coming of age story. This book discusses through prompt questions from her Language Arts teacher the trauma of substance abuse, death, mental illness, and trying to navigate through all of it as a teenager who feels like she is responsible for all that is happening in her community and neighborhood.
Man, I love a good Epsilatory story. I love a story that isn't afraid to touch on sensitive topics and places it into the world of a Middle Grader. Taylor Before and After doesn't have chapter titles it has seasons as the chapter headings most of the book is like the moods of Taylor's life -- Winter and Fall. The end of the book is full of Spring but no summer. The book spends those seasons giving us the building up the story and dealing with trauma all though it takes a while to find out what that trauma is; it then finally comes to the full realization of Taylor's change in view ending in Spring as hope can bloom like an orange Hibiscus.
Taylor went through so much in her family and her strength and honesty through her LA notebook is a great tool to deal with feelings.
Coming of age is hard. Dealing with all that change can suck you into living life with blinders on where whatever tragedy or trial you are living with seems as if the tragedy will never end. Taylor lives like this. However, Taylor Before and After is a book that can help an 8-12-year-old deal with emotions that they could be facing after a death of a loved one, or in the middle of the reality of life dealing with a parent who suffers from mental health issues and that there is hope even if it is just a glimmer of an old friend's reconnection or learning that you are stronger than you thought you were. Although Taylor Before and After can be a great coping book, it is also a great book just to read for the fun of it. I find that the coming of age books make for a great empathy-building experience.
This is a heart wrenching juvenile book that we need more of to help speak with our children about mental illness, substance abuse, and bullying.
Jennie Englund does a wonderful job of being sensitive handing these tough subjects for younger readers and still creating a good read.
Taylor Before and After should be at the top of the list for required reading in 6th and/or 7th grade.
I appreciated the chance to read this book and review it. Thank you Edelweiss Plus, Imprint (Macmillan) for the opportunity to read this book in lieu of my honest review.
Comments
Post a Comment