By Alison McGhee
4RBooks: 3/6, grades 4-7
Amazon rating: 3.9/5, grade level 3-7
Good Reads: 4.20/5
Common Sense Media: Not Yet Reviewed
196 pages
Synopsis:
It is only a couple of weeks until Kiri’s 11th birthday. Ayla is sure that wherever Kiri has gone, she will be back in time for the two of them to celebrate. They have been best friends since they were babies. Even though Ayla knows that Kiri has gone far away, she still believes she’ll be back.
Ayla likes to sit in her tree. One day an old-fashioned telephone appears in the tree, just sitting there, not connected to anything. Over the next few days, people come by and ask to use the phone. They are sure the phone will allow them talk to important people in their life who have “passed on.”
Ayla has fond memories of her life and friendship with Kiri, but she also has nightmares about “that day.” Middle school will be starting soon and Ayla must learn how to put the past in the past and move forward.
Parental Guidance: medium
(spoiler alert) Ayla’s best friend, Kiri, has been killed by a speeding driver.
Kiri is always referred to as they, them, and their by her friend Ayla.
Ayla’s father refers to the objects she has that were Kiri’s as Ayla’s talismans.
Recommendation:
It’s hard to imagine this book being appreciated by most children unless they have gone through the loss of a friend or family member. It is told in first person, Ayla, and 90% of the story is either Ayla not dealing with her loss and pretending nothing has happened or dealing with her loss in conscious and subconscious ways. Her parents and grandfather are letting her work things out for herself and not attempting to force her to come to terms with her new reality.
It becomes obvious by the end of the book that the phone is just a prop to get people to talk to loved ones who have passed on, in their head and heart. Christian parents will want to have discussions with children reading this book about the truth of life after death and what it means. Parents and counselors might find this book valuable when working with children who are having difficulties dealing with a death in their family or friends, with the caveat of not letting them believe that talking to the dead is possible.
The idea and topic of non-binary is never discussed in the book. Ayla just always refers to Kiri by plural pronouns. Kiri’s mother also uses those pronouns once, and Ayla remembers a neighbor talking about it being hard to change old habits when using the new pronouns. Parents, Christian parents in particular, will need to be ready to front load their child with information and facts about children who consider themselves non-binary.
Though Kiri’s actual death is not told in a graphic manner, readers can imagine vividly what happened and Ayla emotional trauma is evident. Might be difficult for sensitive readers. It is an easy read, more a series of diary entries than a novel in prose.
