Then her parents get an early morning call about her brother, away at college. He's been in a car accident. But it's something much worse and even though they won't tell any of the other kids what's going on, they know that something is wrong. Finally, they find out that Gabriel is bipolar. He's not coming home to recuperate because he's going to live in a residential facility and their parents want them to keep the news "private."
Zinnia's not sure she could have talked to her friends about it anyways; she's all mixed up inside and feels like everyone is watching her all the time. Scarlett won't talk to her and has mostly kicked her out of her room, their mom is on the phone with insurance people all the time, and their dad spends most of his time at work. Her refusal to talk about what's going on and her own increasing worry and struggles alienate her friends. Her only refuge is Ms. Molina's biology class and their experiments on crayfish.
Luckily, Zinnia is not alone. With the help of friends, teachers, and her family slowly learning to work together through difficulties, she begins to adjust to their situation, speak up for herself and her younger brother Aiden, and figure out who her friends really are - and make some new ones along the way.
From an adult perspective, it's easy to see that Zinnia's family has never faced any major situations before. They have no financial or health worries, although there are hints at Gabriel's mental illness before his breakdown. They've never really had their resilience tested and it's not surprising that they don't respond well at the beginning. I've seen many families where, in a crisis, the "quiet" kids who seem to be doing ok are left behind while the parents deal with the most obvious problems. Zinnia, like her family, has no social-emotional tools to deal with a difficult situation.
The story touches lightly on the stigma of mental illness as well as showing the resources that Zinnia eventually finds. Readers can relate to Zinnia's outward frustration with her friends' chatter about crushes and school gossip when her own worries seem overwhelming, as well as the feeling that everyone knows her family's problems and is talking about them. In a realistic, and upbeat ending, Zinnia reclaims one of her pair of friends, her best friend from childhood, who was helping Zinnia behind the scenes even when she was pushed away, and makes new friends who understand what she's going through. All her problems aren't solved, but she's on the way to repair and make stronger the surface relationships with her family that have been tested.
Verdict: This is a well-written story of friendship, personal growth, and dealing with the bad times that come along that will appeal both to kids who have never weathered any storms and those that can relate to familial crisis. Recommended.
ISBN: 9781534432338; Published September 2020 by Aladdin; Galley provided by publisher for review; on my order list for the library
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