genre: middle grade mystery
Zoe Washington, brand new twelve year old, knows things. She knows how to bake an incredible cupcake. She knows she is NOT talking to her neighbor Trevor anymore, she knows why her black skin makes people give her "the look" when she's shopping and she knows that her stepdad loves her. What she doesn't know? Really anything about her father, Marcus, who is in jail for committing a frightening crime. When Zoe receives a birthday letter from Marcus, she sneaks it to her room to decide what to do with it. Writing to a criminal is scary - but Zoe wants to KNOW things. And thus begins Zoe's pen-pal relationship with her biological father, a choice that will have lasting consequences for both Zoe AND Marcus.
This really is a solid middle grade novel. The mystery element is really well done - what HAS Marcus done? And is he as guilty as Zoe's mom is convinced he is? Zoe's friendships, her baking passion, her desire to be grown up and make group up decisions but inability to throughly think through the repercussions, all felt very believable. I appreciated the knowledge that young readers can gain about social justice issues within this book, without ever feeling like they were being "taught." I liked Zoe's non-traditional family and how loving and solid it was. While Marcus seems almost a LITTLE too perfect sometimes, the book is well written and has a lot of heart. I'd love to have Zoe as a neighbor and advocate.
NOTE: I listened to the audio, narrated by the INCREDIBLE Bahni Turpin
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