Fijrst Impressions:
: Haunting . It felt like we were always on the periphery of disaster, everything was etched in sadness.
I like how the author compared the girls coming of age to a jazz ensemble. The progression of the girls friendship seemed , in the beginning, melodic , inevitable ,right.
The death of the August's mother permeates everything in the story like being in a smoke filled room you cannot get away from the obvious. A young girl will be deeply affected by the absence of the mother. Her brother and father cope with the Muslim faith, she on her newfound friends. The author did an excellent job of foreshadowing that something terrible was going to happen to Gigi, but not giving away what . This unshakeable need to know what happens to Gigi propels you , the reader, into the story. I noticed that there were brief discussions of how of how other cultures handled the death of their loved ones which I found interesting.
The story shows us how sometimes we are able to overcome situations that are soul crushing and surmount them , like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Another thing I thought the author did an excellent job was giving you an up close look of poverty and how it feels to not have enough. The sense of shame having to stand in line for free food. I found that part relatable even though it is set in the 1970's. The brutality of being poor is still the same. I gave the book 5 stars out of 5
