Copyright Date:
2015
Edition Date:
2016
Release Date:
12/21/15
Pages:
191 pages
ISBN:
1-680-21060-2
ISBN 13:
978-1-680-21060-6
Dewey:
Fic
Dimensions:
21 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Voice of Youth Advocates
Macy Elaine Rain is killed when she swerves in front of a truck while simultaneously taking a selfie and trying to avoid hitting a squirrel. Much to her delight, heaven is a pretty cool place. There is even romance with musician John Wayne Worth. But even that does not distract her from what she was trying to do before the ill-fated photo. She had been heading to the police department to report that a depressed classmate was threatening to kill himself and others at their school. How can she possibly stop him now? Fortunately her "tour guide," Samuel, helps her communicate with Ryan by supernatural means, and his plans change drastically even though he has no idea why. Although she is still dead, Macy could not be happier.The tale is written in prose which occasionally breaks into rhyme. Serious topics such as the dangers of distracted driving, death, murder/suicide, and the nature of the afterlife are touched on throughout with what seems to be a lighthearted tone. Because they are not being preached at, readers may find themselves dwelling on lessons to be learned from Macy. Each short chapter uses a hashtag as a title. Macy is a winsome and sympathetic character, a perfect match for the caring (and cute) John Wayne. A refreshing and sweet short read, this is one of the titles in the Gravel Road Verse series. For a more in-depth look at what life after death might possibly be like, pair this with Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin (Macmillan, 2005/VOYA October 2005).Pam Carlson.
Themes: Realistic Fiction, Poetry, Verse, Texting and Driving, Death, Heaven, Teen, Young Adult, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Macy is dead. Selfies while driving never end well. She knows it now #suckstobeme. And she has unfinished business. Her friend Ryan is planning to shoot up the school. But the afterlife is so unexpected. She gets distracted. Who knew she would find love? Just like prose, a novel in verse tells a story. But verse is unique because readers access the text through short chapters, or poems. The varying lengths of the chapters are ideal for a struggling reader, giving them breaks to collect their thoughts, to imagine the characters in their minds eye, and to set the scenelike a frame in a movie. The structure of poetry makes the books appear less intimidating, with plenty of airy white space. Moreover, the depth and substance conveyed in verse is every bit as deep and real as in a Gravel Road prose novel.