Scan barcode
mrsclappreads's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
helenareadsbooks's review
4.25
Wanda John-Kehewin’s young adult novel Hopeless in Hope tells the story of 14 year old Eva. Eva often feels lonely and small because she’s bullied at school and her mom is an alcoholic. Her nohkum is the only person Eva can rely on, but when Nohkum is hospitalized, Eva struggles to believe that her mom is capable of taking care of her and her younger brother. After her mom makes a terrible mistake, Eva is put into a group home and is separated from her brother. Eva is overwhelmed by her emotions and anxiety, and wonders if she’ll ever be reunited with her family.
I like the way this book is written—the author gives readers a ton of insight into Eva’s thoughts and it reads like a diary. Eva cares deeply about her family and is protective of them, but she’s also rightfully angry at her circumstances. Eva craves connection and a peaceful life at home, but her mom keeps letting her down. With the help of her nohkum, Eva begins to understand her mom’s pain and the cycle of trauma present in their lives. Eva goes on a journey of forgiveness and acceptance, and it was heartwarming to see her growth and where these characters end up. I also loved the honest discussions of anxiety and depression and think there are several great messages in this book about the importance of taking care of your mental health.
I unintentionally read Brandi Morin’s Our Voice of Fire (highly recommend the audiobook!) simultaneously with this one, and was surprised by the ways they overlap. One is fictional and the other is not, but both books inform readers about the impact of intergenerational trauma, residential schools, and the foster care system on Indigenous communities. Brandi Morin’s memoir reinforced the discussions and emotions presented in Hopeless in Hope. While both books discuss these topics, they focus on the people rather than the trauma, and they demonstrate how it’s possible to rebuild your life and find hope after despair.
With compassion, care and love, Hopeless in Hope tells the story of a family finding their way back to each other. It provides space for complex feelings and is a great starting point for young readers to learn about the difficult topics within, while also showing the importance of family and having hope.
.
This book is out now! Thank you HighWater Press for sending me a copy to review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Bullying
Minor: Mental illness and Injury/Injury detail
oldandnewbooksmell's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Trigger Warnings: child neglect, mention of residential schools and the treatment of children, alcoholism
14-year-old Eva lives in a hopeless old house in the oldest part of Hope, Canada with her younger brother, Marcus, their Nohkum, and their mother, Shirley - when she’s not out drinking. It would be pretty miserable, if it weren’t for her cat, Toofie, and her writing. But everything gets ripped away after Nohkum is hospitalized and Shirley struggles to keep things together. One afternoon, Marcus is found on the streets trying to go to the zoo all on his own; he’s sent to live with a foster family and Eva is sent to live in a group home. Eva’s furious with Shirley and finds a hard time in finding hope in being reunited. To help understand her better, Nohkum gives Eva Shirley’s journal during a hospital visit with the hope the pages within will help Eva learn to find forgiveness for her mom.
This is such a heartbreaking and hopeful story about family and forgiveness. Eva’s bitterness towards her mom is completely understandable, especially for someone her age who doesn’t fully understand the things those before her have gone through.
“You wanna know why so many of our people drink or use drugs? Because they take our children away after they’ve destroyed us. Once you take the kids… there’s nothing left.”
This quote really hit me when Nohkum said it because that’s really true. What’s the best way to erase a culture than to take the youth away? I’ve known about the residential schools and the horrors the children had to go through, and how some of them didn’t make it back, but I didn’t really think of the effects afterwards.
I absolutely loved the voice of Eva in this novel and her family’s story. It wasn’t perfect; life is messy, but in the end, I still had so much hope for their family.
I would recommend this to both YA and adult readers - even though the voice is younger, you are able to dive deeper into the subjects of both Indigenous generational trauma and their treatment - both past and present in this novel. You also get a look at the complexity of the foster care system as well.
*Thank you HighWater Press and Edelweiss+ for a digital advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
More...