Library book: And Then, Boom! Lisa Fipps
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen
Published: 5/7/2024
Pages: 256
Genre: Realstic Fiction
Review: library book
Joe Oak is used to living on unsteady ground. His mom can’t be depended on as she never stays around long once she gets “the itch,” and now he and his beloved grandmother find themselves without a home. Fortunately, Joe has an outlet in his journals and drawings and takes comfort from the lessons of comic books—superheroes have a lot of “and then, boom” moments, where everything threatens to go bust but somehow they land on their feet. And that seems to happen a lot to Joe too, as in this crisis his friend Nick helps them find a home in his trailer park. But things fall apart again when Joe is suddenly left to fend for himself. He doesn’t tell anyone he’s on his own, as he fears foster care and has hope his mom will come back. But time is running out—bills are piling up, the electricity’s been shut off, and the school year’s about to end, meaning no more free meals. The struggle to feed himself gets intense, and Joe finds himself dumpster diving for meals. He’s never felt so alone—until an emaciated little dog and her two tiny pups cross his path. And fate has even more in store for Joe, because an actual tornado is about to hit home—and just when it seems all is lost, his life turns in a direction that he never could have predicted.
I ordered this book to go into our school library as I feel it is one that students should read. Maybe to just get an insight into how others' lives. First, this book was easy to read. I am not really a poetry person, or a person who likes books told in verse. Though this is my third one that I have read, it has been easy to follow and understand.
I felt so bad for Joe; he doesn't have a stable home, and you just want to take him home and give him something. I loved how his friends tried to help him, as he never asked for it. Joe is a survivor and carries this world on his young shoulders.
Everyone doesn't have it easy, and we see that throughout the story. I would have liked more of a backstory on why Joe's mom was the way she was, but in the end, I had to remember this was Joe's story to tell us.
Overall, an amazing story, and this author will pull you in and tear your heart out.
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