Anger Is Only a Shadow
by Elizabeth Acevedo
DESCRIPTION
From National Book Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author and renowned poet Elizabeth Acevedo comes a white-knuckle journey to self-understanding and doing the right thing, no matter the cost.
Lil is anything but small. She’s rebellious, she's loyal; she's figuring out what kind of good person she wants to be, or if she wants to be a good person at all. But more than anything? Lil wants to be free.
When her instinct for freedom leads to another stay in D.C. juvenile detention, Lil knows she’s lucky to just be on probation. But judgment, guilt, and an ankle monitor weigh heavily on her, and she can’t shake that pinned-down feeling.
The only person who might understand is her big brother, Aldwin. Except he’s more distant now than just the hundred miles from his college. Something’s been off with him for several months, but only Lil seems to realize how important it is to get to him.
As her court hearing ticks closer, a question looms over Lil as the missed phone calls and strange texts from her brother pile will she stay put, or put her future freedom on the line?
Link to purchase the book
MY THOUGHTS
Anger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo is an exceptionally touching and thought-provoking read.
Liliana Pantalion-Ortiz - Lil - is at a crossroads. She has gotten into trouble and has been released to the custody of her parents. She is waiting for the results of her court hearing. With her eighteenth birthday approaching, she knows that if she continues down the path she is on, the consequences could become much more serious. She is also required to wear an ankle monitor, severely limiting where she can go.
Meanwhile, Lil is deeply worried about her brother, Aldwin, who is away at college. He is experiencing significant changes, and his mental health begins to deteriorate dramatically. When Lil stops hearing from him, she makes a difficult decision. Despite the restrictions placed on her, she leaves Washington, D.C., and heads to Virginia to find her brother and make sure he is okay.
Lil was faced with an impossible choice: Should she follow the rules and risk leaving her brother without the help he desperately needs, or should she put her own future at risk to show her loyalty to him?
This was such a compelling and emotional read. I actually took a more than one break from the book so I could absorb the message coming through its pages. There is so much here to think about, particularly regarding family, loyalty, consequences, and mental health.
I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end, where Elizabeth Acevedo discusses how she created this story and the ways mental health influenced what was happening within Lil’s family. That added another layer of meaning to an already powerful novel.
Anger Is Only a Shadow was well worth my time. Some books entertain you. Others make you think. And then there are those rare books that quietly work their way into your thoughts long after you have turned the final page. Anger Is Only a Shadow is one of those books for me. It is a powerful, emotional story that I know will stay with me for a long time to come.
Many thanks to Quill Tree Books, NetGalley and Libro.fm for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Her books include, Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths (YesYes 2016), The Poet X (HarperCollins, 2018), & With The Fire On High (HarperCollins, 2019), and Clap When You Land (HarperCollins, 2020).
She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love.
No comments:
Post a Comment