Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Springstubb (Moonpenny Island) contemplates the concept of time throughout this wrenching coming-of-age novel, which explores the complex and often painful dynamics among family and friends. In chapters labeled -then- and -now,- the narrative switches between Nella Sabatini-s present, at age 12, and her younger years. When Anthony, the beloved older brother of Nella-s friend Angela, pulls the trigger in a shooting that leaves an African-American man dead, the incident polarizes black and Italian-American communities and raises the ghost of a tragedy from years before (---Oh no,- whispered Mom.... -Not again-.... The past rushed up and plowed into the present, a terrible collision, a horrible accident-). The temporal theme unfolds through short interludes from a statue-s perspective, Angela-s father-s post-traumatic stress disorder (-It all comes back over him, and it-s like he-s right there again-), and Nella-s friend Clem-s obsession with time. Nella-s growing awareness of endings and beginnings, the meaning of friendship, and the power of choices combine to create an unsettling, compelling, and heartwarming tale. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. Author-s agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. Illustrator-s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (June)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6 Nella has grown up in an insular Little Italy neighborhood of a large city. Her father is the caretaker of a cemetery across the street from her house. Nella has recently traded in her shy, lifelong best friend Angela for a cooler, shinier model, and she's sure her four younger brothers are complete barbarians and that her great-grandmother is impossible to please. All that is about to change. With her Catholic parochial school slated for closure, Nella will be forced into the wider community. A secret revealed about her father's past alters her feelings for him, and then her old friend Angela's brother, Anthony, accidentally shoots and kills an African American man seeking help after a late-night car crash. Nella has always adored Anthony, and the way he is portrayed by the news media enrages her. She is eventually forced to reexamine much of what she believes about her family, friends, neighbors, and God. Fluctuating in time between Nella's earliest school years and her seventh-grade present, this work raises questions about fate, faith, loyalty, and justice. The ghosts of the pastof racial tensions from decades before and consequences of mistakes made years agoreverberate throughout the novel. Adult and child characters alike are shown as complex and conflicted. Overriding all is the notion that what occurs in a single second can change the course of events. Readers may find the constant swiveling in time to be disorienting, and frequent interruptions for observations by a statue in the cemetery serve little purpose. The focus is squarely on the protagonist and her struggle to understand how race and history play into the tragic events.

ALA Booklist

Nella Sabatini has grown up in her town's Little Italy with a father who has a secret, too many younger brothers, and a best friend since kindergarten, Angela. But in Nella's twelfth year, she learns that her dad went to jail for vehicular homicide when he was a teenager; a new girl takes the place of her best friend; and a boy seems to like her. In the most shocking turn of events, Angela's beloved older brother, Anthony, shoots an African American man whom he thought was trying to break into a home. This sets communities against each other and makes Nella think d rethink at is important and how much control we have over our own lives. The narrative structure of then and now, with short chapters devoted to the musings of a statue, sometimes intrudes upon the story, but this is rich in complex issues that include caring for the elderly, the problems of friendship, and the role of God in everyday life. Lots of plates here, but Springstubb keeps them spinning to a satisfying end.

Horn Book

Springstubb adroitly weaves multiple story lines and themes throughout her nonlinear narrative about a tight-knit Italian American neighborhood. Things are changing around Nella Sabatini: her school, St. Amphibalus, is closing; Invaders (i.e., yuppies, people of color) are moving into the neighborhood; and the people Nella thought she knew best have deep secrets. A complex tale that will have readers pondering, with Nella, life's big questions.