Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I’m going to do something here that I’ve never done before; I’m going to link another person’s review of Rebecca Stead’s Goodbye Stranger to mine. You can call it lazy, if you choose–it’s the 21st of December and the act of writing a long and detailed review myself feels un-doable. (I need to WRAP. And address more Christmas cards. And make more truffles!). You could also, however, consider it two for the price of one, because Elizabeth Bird’s review does such a very good job of discussing the book that I can’t easily reference an idea or two. Better to have the entirety at your fingertips, right?

As for me, I listened to Goodbye Stranger in a bit of a hurry because I wanted to gauge its appropriateness as part of my newly-13-year-old’s Christmas books. (I wasn’t going to spend any more money on her, but when your friend finds a hardcover by a Newbery author that’s in excellent condition at Dollar Tree, that feels affordable, you know?) Goodbye Stranger is a book about 3 main characters told from 3 different points of view, but interestingly, the 3 do not necessarily coincide. Two of the points of view are supporting characters (albeit strong and/or important ones). The three friends who feel like the main characters are told in one point of view–that of Bridge, the most contemplative of the three. She’s been friends with Tab and Em for years, but as they enter 7th grade, life begins to change for all three of them. Their friendship remains strong, which I especially appreciate–I’ve read a few two many books recently about friends whose interests shift with puberty and whose friendships fade (or burn out) accordingly–but there are issues to face, for them AND their family members. (And friends.) What do you do–and not do–for a friend? A boy? What makes a good friend? What is fair? How do you know when (and who) to trust?

There are more, really. What I can tell you is that this is a thoughtful book, a book that builds, and book that tackles issues that our middle schoolers face that we wish they didn’t. I probably will give this one to my oldest for Christmas. I’ll want to discuss parts of it with her afterward–like the kinds of choices made and what other options there may (or may not) have been–but that’s not a bad thing, I think. In the meantime, I’m still thinking about it–and that says something.