Fifteen-year old David sometimes feels invisible to his
parents. His sister Ivy has multiple
disabilities, and no matter what’s happening in David’s life, Ivy’s needs come
first. Even though Ivy is eleven years
old, she needs constant supervision, wears diapers, and often embarrasses David
in public. Sometimes she scares off his
friends too, but no matter what, David loves his sister. She’s always thrilled to see him, yelling his
name “Ga-beg” and giving him slobbery kisses.
When a new girl, Hannah, moves in across the street, David
starts to have feelings for her. And
when Hannah meets his family, those feelings become even stronger. David has finally met someone who understands
him, and more importantly, she isn’t uncomfortable being around Ivy.
Everything changes when they go to the cottage, and Ivy has
an accident while her father is looking after her. Suddenly, David is questioning his father’s
role and wondering what really happened to Ivy.
Could he really be responsible for the accident?
For such a little book, this novel really tackles a big
topic, and I admire how sensitive and honest Kathy Stinson‘s writing is. Although I have never lived with mentally
challenged children or adults, I have worked with some, in group home
settings. Reading this book brought back
many memories of those children, and I feel the author created very authentic
characters. I appreciated David’s
honesty in explaining how frustrating it was to live with Ivy at times. Sometimes he just wanted his parents to
himself. And he often felt they only saw
him as a helper for Ivy.
Many people don’t understand disabilities unless they live
with them. This story really gives you
an idea about the complicated feelings a person can have. The author expressed this very well, especially through
David: “Or was Ivy’s life tougher than I ever let myself believe? How do you weigh crappy stuff like seizures
and physio and people hardly ever understanding you, up against giggles and
grins and just being happy with birds and pretty flowers and your sunhat and
your turquoise bathing suit? How can anyone know whether someone else's life is
worth living or not, especially if that someone can’t tell you about it?”
After the accident, David’s family is turned upside-down. David’s anger towards his father is
compounded by the fact that Hannah doesn’t believe David, when he tells her
what really happened. Hannah has her own
issues, and doesn’t want to see David’s father in a negative light. The ending is perfect. It’s just real life. No tidy resolution, and lots to keep thinking
about.
I loved this book!