IT”S MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY with a feature and GIVEAWAY of THE ECHO PARK CASTAWAYS!
PUBLISHED: 2019 PAGE COUNT: 208
THE OFFICIAL PLOT
Nevaeh, Vic, and Mara are veterans of the Los Angeles foster care system. For over a
year they’ve been staying with Mrs. K in Echo Park. Vic spends most of his time living in a dream world, Mara barely speaks, and Nevaeh is forced to act as a back-up parent. Though their situation isn’t ideal, it’s still their best home yet.
Then Child Protective Services places Quentin in the house, and everything is turned upside down. Nevaeh really can’t handle watching over anyone else, especially a boy on the autism spectrum. Meanwhile, Quentin is having trouble adjusting and attempts to run away.
So when Vic realizes Quentin just wants to see his mom again, he plans an “epic quest” to reunite them. It could result in the foster siblings getting sent to different group homes. But isn’t family always worth the risk?
MY THOUGHTS
The technique of using three alternating narrators was previously used in MS. BIXBY’S LAST DAY by John David Anderson. To do it successfully you need compelling characters and M.G. Hennessey pulls it off with Nevaeh, Vic, and Quentin. They take turns in each chapter and the story moves forward at a rapid pace.
Heartbreaking at times, you feel the plight of these kids as they’ve arrived in the foster care system under different circumstances. Their shared wish is to have a a home where they feel wanted. For now they’ve been thrown together to live in Mrs. K’s house who is not the most tuned in foster parent. This leaves eighth grader Nevaeh to watch over the younger ones.
They are a handful with Vic living in his made-up spy world and ADHD; Quentin with a developmental disorder known as Aspergers—his odd behavior has everyone on edge; Finally there is the youngest, Mara, who is quiet, speaks little Spanish, and almost no English.
The quest to find Quentin’s mom takes up most of the pages. It’s a compelling read as the four take a rather difficult route find her. The ending comes quick and it was both sad and heartwarming. What little it takes to bring these four together. It is something most kids would take for granted (A hint is on the cover).
The adventure they go on is both believable and page turning. You’ll be wishing for more from this band of castaways. The time you do spend with them is one you won’t soon forget. Highly recommended for those who enjoy modern contemporary dramas.
FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT:
- The foster care system is exposed with all of its hopes, flaws, and tear jerking realities.
- Nevaeh is a strong girl who sees a future much better than what she has now. She’s the glue that holds the group together but even that may not be enough.
- The depiction of how a family, who is not family, becomes one.
- The backstory of each character is necessary and ties in wonderfully to the present predicament.
- Mrs. K has a surprising and welcome character arc as she could have been left in the background for the entire ride.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M. G. Hennessey loves Star Wars, the San Francisco Giants, strawberry ice cream, and dancing (not necessarily in that order). If she could choose one superpower, it would be flying. A supporter of the Transgender Law Center, Gender Spectrum, and the Human Rights Campaign, she lives in Los Angeles with her family. Visit her on the web.
I received and ARC for my honest Review. Comment below…and you’ll be entered into a GIVEAWAY for a new hardback edition of this endearing story. Entries are accepted through July 14th and the winner will be announced next Monday.
Always in the Middle... 
It is hard to successfully pull off multiple POVs. This must be a fast-paced story with the short page count. It sounds like a compelling story of what living in foster care could be like.
I’m far behind on my reading, as always these days, so I hadn’t even heard of this book. But what a fascinating approach to the foster care system. Nevaeh sounds like a great character.
This sounds like a great story. No need to include me in the giveaway, though, as I am sooo far behind in my reading.
Enjoyed your thoughts and the things you liked about this timely book, because the official plot confused me a bit. It is such a timely read and I love what defines family. The three POV’s interests me the most.
So much to like about the story after reading your thoughts. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy.
My library doesn’t have it! Drat. Sounds so interesting.
After reading your post, I know this is a book with characters I’m going to love reading. The premise is unlike any I’ve read before. Thanks for sharing with one of your readers!
There are a number of books on foster care recently, and it’s certainly a timely topic. Thanks for a great review.
As a former educator who worked with foster children and autistic students, my heart goes out to the characters in this story. Thanks for the thorough review for MMGM.
This book sounds wonderful! All of the characters sound compelling, as does the fast-moving plot. Thanks so much for the review!
I haven’t found many books with multiple viewpoints that work well. This one sounds intriguing. And the author is a SF Giants fan, so it must be good! Thanks for telling me about it.
Wow! This one sounds like a great read. Thanks so much for your review!