genre: middle grade fiction
When Calliope June behaves in strange ways, it's not because she's choosing to. Calli has Tourette Syndrome and in this novel-in-verse told in two voices, we not only see Calli's behavior from other's point of view, we also see the world through her eyes. Forget Me Not places us right into Calliope's shoes in thoughts, understanding the compulsions and anxieties that tics can produce. We see her longing for a new friend, we feel her deep frustration in her mother's inability to live in one place for any period of time - and we also know that behind her tics, Calliope has so much to offer.
This book is so well done. So compassionate towards someone with a highly misunderstood diagnosis, it does such a good job of peeling off the shame and encouraging readers to not hide who they are. This Own Voices book about disability would also be a great catalyst for discussions about friendship, bullying and nontraditional families. I read it in a few short hours and totally recommend it :)
No comments:
Post a Comment