Elana K. Arnold (Sacred) makes her middle-grade debut with a slow-building story of 11-year-old Iris learning to live with her grief.
Iris Abernathy moves with her mother and father to Corvallis, Ore., from Seal Beach, Calif. In Corvallis, it rains every day. Iris misses the sun and most of all, her best friend, Sarah. Sarah used to tell her that "iris is the name of a flower, but also a part of the eye"; she said that Iris was sweet like a flower and also noticed things that others didn't. "But without Sarah, Iris didn't know what to do with the things she noticed." Iris accepts overtures of friendship from classmate Boris, whom many kids overlook. When she visits Boris's home after school, his mother tells Iris that he was a "miracle," he was not supposed to live. Readers learn that Iris had been standing next to Sarah six months ago, when Sarah was hit by a car, and later died. Why did Sarah die and Iris live?
In a third-person narrative that remains fully in Iris's range of understanding, Arnold explores the range of sorrow, anger and grief Iris undergoes. Her compassionate parents allow Iris the time and space to find her way while also remaining a strong, consistent presence. A bus driver and psychologist, though secondary characters, also play important roles for Iris. Her gentle explorations of faith, doubt and making a friend while still keeping Sarah close leave a powerful impression. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness