*This middle-grade title came to me via the publisher. Both the cover and title grabbed my attention and I was curious to dive in.
What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
*Iris has a lot to deal with.
*Her parents divorced, her dad came out, and then become quite ill.
*Iris splits her time between her mother's New York apartment and her father's along with his partner.
*Iris tries to act normal in front of her friends, but would really like to open up and share her reality.
*After a tragic event, Iris finds herself being an advocate for the many people in 1980's New York city who seem to have no voice.
What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
*The writing was strong, engaging, and emotional.
*The story takes place in the 80's just as the Aids epidemic was on all the front pages. As I read, the story brought me back to that time when I was in high school.
*The story line and content were quite serious, realistic, and raw.
*The author wrote a tremendous story that showed what our country was facing during an unknown epidemic and time in our history.
*I believe young readers will have a lot of questions after reading the story.
Who Should Read It:
*Because of the story line and topics, I would recommend the novel for readers in grades six and above. If a family were to share the reading of the story, then I could see it being used with younger children. In my opinion it would be perfect in a middle-school setting. Happy Reading!
Rating: 4 STARS out of 5 Stars
