Author: E. L. SHen
Genre: realistic fiction
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Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Seventh-grader Freya June Sun has always believed in the Chinese superstitions spoon-fed to her since birth. Ever since her dad’s death a year ago, she’s become obsessed with them, and believes that her father is sending her messages from beyond. Like how, on her way to an orchestra concert where she’s dreading her viola solo, a pair of lucky red birds appear—a sure indication that Dad wants Freya to stick with the instrument and make him proud.
Then Freya is partnered with Gus Choi, a goofy and super annoying classmate, for a home economics project. To her surprise, as they experiment with recipes and get to know each other, Freya finds that she may love baking more than music. It could be time for a big change in her life, even though her dad hasn’t sent a single sign. But with the help of her family, Gus (who might not be so annoying after all), and two maybe-magical birds, Freya learns that to be her own person, she might just have to make her own luck.
My opinion: This could have been a simple story of a kid finding her way out of grief. It manages to transcend that. Certainly grief is a large element. It's also about parental expectations, both explicit and assumed, complex family dynamics, and self discovery. It's about learning to know yourself and the things that matter to you. This is not always a comfortable, relaxing read but it is an engaging one and it could spark a good conversation with a middle grade reader.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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