A Heart in a Body of the World by Deb Caletti

The only Recently there was a fire which killed a young boy, a member of my extended family by marriage. It was a horrendous accident where no one was to blame, but everyone was left feeling a sense of guilt – a series of “what if’s”.

When a tragedy like this happens, how do you move on? Deb Caletti explores this very presumption in her novel A Heart in a Body of the World.

While not this particular scenario, our heroine Annabelle is dealing with a situation which is beyond her coping abilities. She tries to pick up on her previous routines, but life after trauma just isn’t the same. Some little irrelevant detail reminds her of what she is trying to forget until all she wants to do is run. So that is just what she does, starting in Seattle and making strides towards Washington, D.C. despite her overprotective mom pleading with her to return home where she can be monitored (although there are others who are sympathetically cheering her on). Her grandfather follows in his mobile home – a safe place to recoup for the next day’s travels across a somewhat brutal terrain. Her little brother sets up a GoFundMe page with friends, teachers, and family members, even total strangers, donating cash to show their support. While she can’t change the past, at least Annabelle can have some small control over her life – complete with blisters, aching feet, as well as sore muscles to show for her efforts. The further she travels, the stronger her “statement” and everyone starts to take notice.

While the reader isn’t privy to the actual ordeal responsible for such a strong response until the end of the book, we are wrapped up in the emotional dilemma which motivates this footrace across the United States. This one will appeal to both teens and adults.

Four stars and a thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunny (Track, Book 3) by Jason Reynolds

My bad. I was part way through the book before I realized I wasn’t reading the musings of a young girl, but instead a diary written by a twelve year old black boy dealing with a slightly unusual life style. Yes, he’s home schooled. Yes, he calls his dad Darryl. Yes, his “teacher” is not his mom, but her best friend, Aurelia, a woman with more than her share of tattoos who looks at life a little differently than a “normal” adult. It’s just that his parents, childhood sweethearts, had a plan in place way before his birth, and life is going along just as it’s supposed to, with one possible exception – his mom was a victim of maternal death. While the author doesn’t go into depth about this issue which has become more frequent in the United States over the last twenty years (with an increased rate in the African American community), it is a topic that should be front and center, especially since numerous governmental policies have resulted in the closing of community centers providing prenatal care (like Planned Parenthood) which has had a negative impact on women’s health issues. Of course, that isn’t James Reynold’s main focus in his current middle school novel, Sunny, but the impact it has on this black boy and his father is definitely worth mentioning.

Of course, part of my problem in approaching this book was that I didn’t realize it was book three in the Track series. Sunny Lancaster is a member of The Defenders, an elite track team, and his only real contact with the outside world. The members of the team are like family with Reynold’s featuring each of the players in their own book. Of course, Darryl encourages his talented son who easily beats his competitors. This is the sport his mother excelled at and now Sunny has the opportunity to emulate his missing parent. Yet, nobody asks Sunny what he really wants. It’s up to the notes in his diary to reveal his true inner feelings about life, his dad, and, of course, the mother he never met.

Simply written, with enough meat to keep the young reader engaged, I would suggest the reader start with book 1, Ghost, and perhaps book 2, Patina (the only girl on the team), to develop a full appreciation for Sunny. (I’m curious about book 4, Lu, who seems to have a few “problems” of his own). Less than two hundred pages, this would be an excellent addition to a middle school library and even some high school students will find the series enjoyable. While basketball or football (perhaps baseball or soccer) are more popular, track and field is a sport that most kids have experienced, either in gym class or during those fun field day competitions celebrated at the end of the school year. A good choice for either of the sexes, but especially for those hard to please preteen boys. I’ve also heard that the audiobook read by Guy Lockard is well worth a listen.

Four stars and a thank you to Edelweiss and Atheneum Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.The

Hit Count by Chris Lynch

Teenage boys are the hardest audience to convince that reading fiction books is worthwhile. While girls will be happy with almost any topic, boys are much harder to please. Hit Count by Chris Lynch is the perfect novel to scratch that itch. It should be on the shelf of every high school library.

This book evolves around a family with two teenage boys, a mother, and father. Both sons are obsessed with football. The older son Lloyd Brodie, although tough, never advances beyond the Jayvee level and quits his Senior Year. It’s all downhill from there, as he drops out of school and spends his time smoking pot and bumming around the house. The reader isn’t sure if his denseness is drug induced or due to brain injury, but the author portrays him as a pathetic loser jealous of his successful little brother. In contrast, Arlo, 6′ 2″ and 240 pounds, is driven to succeed where his brother failed. He redoubles his efforts, training twice a day throughout the year with his best friend Dino so he can make the Varsity team in his Sophomore year. Once on the team, Arlo discovers he loves the violent contact necessary for the linebacker to do his job. Coach Fisk admires his determination, but sometimes has to bench his star player to keep him from harming himself. Arlo resents these time outs wanting to get back on the field and do some damage to the opposing team. He even gets aggressive during scrimmages with his team mates. Before long Arlo gets the nickname Starlo due to his stellar moves which leads to the team’s winning record.

The meaning of the term Hit Count evolves throughout the book. At first it refers to Arlo’s list of future accomplishments he would like to achieve. Many of the items are easily crossed off prior to his Senior Year in High School. Then the Hit Count is the number of people Arlo successfully targets to smash, until finally he considers himself to be a walking Hit Count. In the end, Coach Fisk reveals the correct definition. A hit count is used to limit the frequency of repetitive head trauma and concussions to improve the safety of youth athletes in competitive sports. Arlo’s mother keeps “The File” full of articles and photographs which both sons are forced to read to remind them of the dangers of concussions and sub concussive injuries prevalent in contact sports. While Arlo’s dad is proud of his son’s power and success on the field, Arlo’s mom refuses to attend the games and watch her son be clocked as he pulverizes the other teams roster. She cringes when reading the nickname Starlo in the local newspaper, intuitively knowing that such a designation is only earned after brutal actions. Eventually Arlo’s girlfriend Sandrine (Sandy) comes to agree and refuses to have “contact” with her boyfriend until the season is over.

What will appeal most to boys, besides the violence found in contact sports, is the graphic details of the game. Lynch rakes us through Arlo’s thoughts as he trains and plays his favorite sport of football. For me, it was a little excessive and upsetting (I’m a mom who is grateful my son got his varsity letter in golf and that her daughters got their letters in bowling and swim) even though I could understand his obsession to be the best and his need for the extreme workouts necessary to build his body into tip top shape. While the gratuitious violence was necessary to advance the plot, it still made me want to yell “stop” or “enough”. So in a way, this book was painful to read, especially after each head trauma episode. While Chris Lynch presents Arlo’s thoughts and feelings in excruciating detail (completely necessary to get the point across to the reader), I was surprised the ending was so brief. I wanted a little bit more about this kid I had spent over 300 pages getting to know. It should at least have had an epilogue. Four stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.