Words and Their Meanings

July 1, 2014
When Anna's uncle-really, he was more like a brother-Joe died, so did her passion for words.On the one-year "deadaversary" of her "bruncle," who grew up with her as a brother in the same household, Anna's no closer to recovering from her grief than when Joe succumbed to his fatal illness. And practicing what she calls "coffin yoga" and channeling her inner Patti Smith with daily verses written on her arm is the closest she gets to the writer she once was. In this deliberate, thoughtful first-person narrative, a series of incidents jolts Anna out of her constant guilt and sorrow. Her grandfather's unexpected accident and unfinished origami project give Anna a second chance at dealing with death on her terms. The discovery of some of Joe's intimate secrets, including a letter indicating a relationship with someone other than his longtime girlfriend, offers an element of mystery to this work. Finally, the possibility of romance forces Anna to see beyond her own troubles and realize the needs of others. By reconnecting with the world, she may just find a way back to herself and her passion for writing.A contemplative look at redemption and relationships for readers with more literary tastes. (Fiction. 13-18)

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Starred review from August 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-When 17-year-old Anna O'Malley's "bruncle" (uncle raised as her brother) Joe dies, she suppresses her grief and refuses to open up about him. She embodies Patti Smith circa 1973, writing daily Patti verses on her forearm and conducts morning corpse yoga where she lays absolutely still in her bed. Anna also gives up her promising talent for writing. Throughout the year following Joe's passing, Anna blames herself for tragic family events including his death and her parents' divorce. Her family and best friend are at a loss as to how to help her move on and are afraid of awakening past destructive and suicidal grief responses. While seeing her ninth psychologist in under a year, Anna strikes a "deadaversary" bargain with her family to return to normalcy to avoid "crazy Bible camp" in Hell, Michigan. As she starts to comply with the bargain, the teen's life begins to move on with a new job, a love interest, and a glimmers of happiness. But more family secrets and tragedies unfold. Eventually, the protagonist's attempts at suppression lead to an increase in self-destructive tendencies that spiral out of control until she can no longer hold back. Bassett's debut novel scores a hat-trick of literary merit in a strongly crafted and complex plot, deeply drawn characters with palpable grief, and beautifully woven and rich prose. This title will appeal most to readers of realistic fiction, especially those looking for a deeply engaging, emotional story.-Adrienne L. Strock, Teen Library Manager, Nashville Public Library

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September 15, 2014
Grades 8-11 Joe's death has sent Anna into a tailspin. Her beloved young uncle was essentially a brother, confidante, and role model to Anna, adopted by her family after his own parents' death in a car accident years before. Who would have expected him to die from a bad case of the flu? To cope, Anna channels rocker Patti Smith, writing winsome Smith quotes on herself, chopping up her hair, holding her breath too long in coffin yoga poses she devises, and generally propelling through the year after Joe's death on turbocharged grief. Can an alluring new boyfriend help her recover? Will she ever get back to the award-winning writing that marked her early high-school career? Bassett's story is etched in sadness and loss, compounded by a parental breakup and the impending loss of a beloved grandfather on top of everything else. Some surprise twists help hone the plot of this intense emo romance, and the right readers will turn themselves inside out following Anna's raw grief.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)