Short-Take Reviews | The YA Edition: Hope and Other Punch Lines and Birthday

HOPE AND OTHER PUNCH LINES
Julie Buxbaum
Publication date: May 7, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gifted by Sam (We Live and Breathe Books)



GOODREADS  *  AMAZON

S Y N O P S I S

Abbi Hope Goldstein is like every other teenager, with a few smallish exceptions: her famous alter ego, Baby Hope, is the subject of internet memes, she has asthma, and sometimes people spontaneously burst into tears when they recognize her. Abbi has lived almost her entire life in the shadow of the terrorist attacks of September 11. On that fateful day, she was captured in what became an iconic photograph: in the picture, Abbi (aka "Baby Hope") wears a birthday crown and grasps a red balloon; just behind her, the South Tower of the World Trade Center is collapsing.

Now, fifteen years later, Abbi is desperate for anonymity and decides to spend the summer before her seventeenth birthday incognito as a counselor at Knights Day Camp two towns away. She's psyched for eight weeks in the company of four-year-olds, none of whom have ever heard of Baby Hope.

Too bad Noah Stern, whose own world was irrevocably shattered on that terrible day, has a similar summer plan. Noah believes his meeting Baby Hope is fate. Abbi is sure it's a disaster. Soon, though, the two team up to ask difficult questions about the history behind the Baby Hope photo. But is either of them ready to hear the answers? 

M Y   T H O U G H T S

Sixteen-year-old Abbi has lived her life in the shadow of 9/11 – not only as a survivor but as the subject of a famed photograph from that day. She longs to escape the notoriety even as she is dealing with health issues that stem from her exposure to the fall-out on that terrible day. She meets Noah while working as a summer camp counselor and is drawn into his project to track down everyone from the famous photograph. What starts as unwilling participation turns into a genuine friendship – and possibly more – when Noah and Abbi spend more and more time together. Their friendship was so genuine and the dual POV worked so well at showing how they both navigated the new relationship. Noah’s own connection to 9/11 broke my heart and, as truths were revealed, I definitely shed some tears. The secondary characters were stellar – including Abbi’s parents and grandmother, Noah’s friend Jack, and the other survivors from the photograph – and they each added so much depth and realism to the story.

I’m so, so tired of always worrying about our world splitting into a before and an after again.

A book whose narrative focuses heavily on 9/11 can be an emotional look at a tragic and defining moment in U.S. history – or a disrespectful plot device used to play on emotions. Thankfully, Buxbaum’s Hope and Other Punch Lines falls into the former category and she writes about 9/11 and its aftermath with respect and gravitas. This was a moving and unforgettable story. (So many thanks to Sam for sending me her hard copy of this book. A book is always a special gift and this one was truly a stand-out. Thank you, Sam!)

4.5/5 STARS

BIRTHDAY

Meredith Russo

Publication date: May 21, 2019

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library Loan

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON

S Y N O P S I S

Two kids, Morgan and Eric, are bonded for life after being born on the same day at the same time. We meet them once a year on their shared birthday as they grow and change: as Eric figures out who he is and how he fits into the world, and as Morgan makes the difficult choice to live as her true self. Over the years, they will drift apart, come together, fight, make up, and break up—and ultimately, realize how inextricably they are a part of each other.

M Y   T H O U G H T S

Oh, this book. I think it broke me. I had almost decided not to review it because, to put it bluntly, the story made me sad. And while I’m glad I read it I wasn’t sure I wanted to dwell on it or discuss it. But I can’t quit thinking about it so here we are. Birthday follows Eric and Morgan from the ages 13 through 18. We see their lives only once a year, on their shared birthday. They’ve been best friends since birth, but that friendship is tested as they both deal with changes within their families and within themselves. These two kids went through hell, much of it silently and all alone, and my heart broke over and over again. Morgan was going through the heartbreaking process of coming to terms with her gender identity – struggling with the fact that being a boy did not fit and was an uncomfortable mantle she had to carry. The chapters from Morgan’s point of view were filled with so much emotional pain and anguish that it was actually difficult to read. I wanted so badly to gather Morgan up in a hug and make the pain go away. Living in a small, rural Tennessee town, with a high school football coach for a father only added to her turmoil. Eric had his own troubles and even though his wealthy family looks stable from the outside, inside those walls he lives with a controlling and verbally abusive father.

I don't know if anyone will love me the way that I really am.

Birthday dealt with some serious topics – death of a parent, grief, suicide attempt, homophobia, transphobia – and it is to Russo’s credit that these characters felt so lifelike that I ached for them like I did. Morgan’s journey, in particular, made a real impact and brought me to tears more than once. This is an important book. And while I don’t know that I can say I enjoyed it (because it weighed on me so heavily), I am so glad I read it.

4.5/5 STARS


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