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
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
Publication date: May 21, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT
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
HAVE YOU READ EITHER OF THESE BOOKS?
