The Year We Fell From Space by Amy Sarig King
But I’m twelve. . .And I doubt myself all the time.
 | The Year We Fell From Space is a searing portrait of a young girl in conflict. Liberty Johansen distances herself from her classmates when she refuses to participate in school playground activities such as marriages and excommunications. And she’s not afraid to let her views be known. It’s stupid...We’re in sixth grade. Having weddings is stupid. She shoulders a massive self-imposed burden, trying to keep her family together, attempting to maintain peace and a sense of normalcy in situations which are beyond her control. She is fascinated with astronomy and creates her own star maps. Her interest in the stars becomes her safe place. She discovers an unusual rock and believes that it is a meteorite, sent from the skies directly to her. The rock becomes her solace, her companion, and her confidante. Lib views herself and her world through the lens of her current circumstances: sixth-grade outcast, protector for her younger sister, and dutiful daughter to her separated parents. |
That’s my present constellation. Me, middle school, and divorce. It’s an angry constellation. It’s not even glowing red. It’s on fire.
Her life becomes a tangle of messy situations: hiding a classmate's valuable ring, throwing a toaster through the window, surreptitiously leaving her father's home and walking all the way to her mother's house.
She's knows that she's stuck in an emotional quagmire but is unable to find a way out, tapping out on the bathtub a code for H-E-L-P-M-E. Her inner dialog is a constant tug-of-war, pitting her perceptions of the outward world against her inner turmoil. Finally she arrives at the stunning realization that she, like her father, may suffer from depression.
The book concludes with Lib confiding in her parents and taking steps toward receiving help. Acknowledging the changes taking place in her family, talking with a trusted professional, and proactively working through her feelings, Liberty sees the possibility of healing and hope.
Some things take time.
King has created a multilayered exploration of depression. Liberty's story is one of inexplicable sadness, paralyzing pain, courage, truth, and hope. At times mental illness can become overwhelming: immense and far-reaching as the night sky with intimate details as sharply focused as a tiny speck of light flickering in the darkness. An Author's Note includes helpful mental health resources: websites, apps, and helpline numbers.
Smeelings
 | Liberty's life is filled with hikes, gazing at the night sky, campfires, and s'mores. And smeelings. Smeelings are "smells that make feelings." I'm sending a toasted gooey s'more with lots of smeelings to King. Thanks for this poignant portrayal of a young girl and her family coping with mental illness. Its a story that has found a home in my heart. |
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: October 15, 2019 Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books ISBN: 978-1338236361
RSS Feed
