A review by librariann
Calli by Jessica Lee Anderson
3.0
Ages 11+ (swears are truncated by cutting off the speaking character, but it's obvious that they're swears, foster siblings talk about abuse and neglect)
Interesting, but not 100% engaging, this reads more like a problem novel from the early 90's than a nuanced, layered look at life with two moms and foster siblings.
I did like it, perhaps because I grew up on the problem novels of the late 80s and early 90s, but I don't know how teens today will respond. While I think it will be excellent for bibliotherapy or teaching, it's just a little too teachy-preachy to work as a casual read for me.
Interesting: despite the white girl on the cover, it was never clear what race Calli, her foster siblings, or her family members belonged to. There are plenty of references to hair (curly, kinky) and lupus (which has a higher incidence rate among African-Americans) but the characters remained hazy. Whether this was intentional so that teens could place themselves as the characters or unintentional, I spent a lot of time thinking and wondering.
Interesting, but not 100% engaging, this reads more like a problem novel from the early 90's than a nuanced, layered look at life with two moms and foster siblings.
I did like it, perhaps because I grew up on the problem novels of the late 80s and early 90s, but I don't know how teens today will respond. While I think it will be excellent for bibliotherapy or teaching, it's just a little too teachy-preachy to work as a casual read for me.
Interesting: despite the white girl on the cover, it was never clear what race Calli, her foster siblings, or her family members belonged to. There are plenty of references to hair (curly, kinky) and lupus (which has a higher incidence rate among African-Americans) but the characters remained hazy. Whether this was intentional so that teens could place themselves as the characters or unintentional, I spent a lot of time thinking and wondering.