Book review - All the Ways to Go

 

Title: All the Ways to Go

Author: Jessie Janowitz

Genre: realistic fiction

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Rating:

compelling and unique

Summary (provided by publisher): Milo Bloom, chess prodigy, has a secret: he doesn't want to play chess anymore. If only he had the courage to tell someone. Instead, he blows a major chess tournament on purpose. If no one knows he wants to quit, no one can be disappointed in him.  

The problem is, winning that tournament was a ticket to chess camp, and the loss means his summer plans are shot. Enter Roxie, a girl he's never met, who shows up at his door uninvited to tell him all about how he and his mom will be spending the whole summer with her and her mom in the "cat room" in their New Jersey home…what?  

Surprise! Before Milo knows what's hit him, he's living at Roxie's house, where creepy cats rule, meat products are banned, and Roxie, who doesn't seem to understand the concept of personal space, won't give him a second alone.  

But when Milo and Roxie stumble across two people playing a fascinating game they've never seen before, they become determined to learn the ancient game of Go. Between late-night library adventures and creating a Go club at their summer camp, Milo and Roxie form an unexpected friendship, realizing they have a lot more to learn from each other than just the game of Go. That is, if Milo can face his fears and tell his mom how he really feels about chess so he can stop living a lie. 

My opinion: A story about a chess prodigy feels like it should have a narrow audience but that isn't the case here. Janowitz had captured a sort of universality in this narrative. Milo's story isn't one about excelling at something and losing how you define yourself. It's about losing your passion and feeling directionless. It's about fearing what people will think of you and being confronted by things that you hate on principle. Even as Milo makes choices that we know will turn out badly we root for him to find his way and we cheer as he slowly opens up to new experiences. With a small but compelling cast of characters this is a strong read for any kid who has ever felt lost and like an outsider.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley