This was a surprisingly beautiful story with rich characters that compelled you to care about them. I was caught in the story and couldn't put it down! I wanted to know what the characters chose to do and how it affected the others. It is a wonderful book!

Some stories are just made for the verse novel format. This is one of them. Pacing is tight and word choice is solid. Some verse novels get so caught up in artistry that the reader isn't clear on what is actually happening. That isn't the case here. I also appreciated that while Macy is deaf, its not the sum total of her character. She's your average middle grade girl who just happens to be deaf. She has social problems at school, struggles to connect with her future step family. Problems that are largely her own fault. She is not dismissed due to her handicap. Rather, she uses that as a reason to push others away. It may not be the first verse novel I'd hand to a young reader but I wouldn't hesitate to give it to a kid who's already read a couple.

Perfect middle grade free verse! I am so excited to share this with my elementary and middle school students, as I am always talking up free verse, but can't find enough excellent examples to share with them. Macy's story is heartwarming and thought-provoking, and her relationship with her elderly neighbor is a wonderful one for kids to read about. I love their connection over baking and books - I especially loved the book references throughout the story, like to the books "El Deafo" and "The Tale of Despereaux" - books that kids today will know and be able to relate to. Kids will also be able to connect with the storylines relating to parent remarriage and moving, and will be able to look into the world of someone who has lost their hearing, much as they have enjoyed doing with El Deafo. I can't wait to read this author's other middle grade novel "Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles" and order both of these titles for my libraries.

I feel really badly about rating this only three stars, especially since it is trending not only four stars, but five as well. And it isn't because the book isn't well written, it is, although in a weird, way, with almost blank verse like sentences, lower case, no punctuation. It took a little to get used to it. No, that wasn't why I'm rating it so low.

It is a pleasant enough story of a deaf girl whose mother is getting married, and moving into his house, and who doesn't want to move and lose her mother, who she has had to herself all this time. I kept thinking it was going to be more than that, that the next door neighbor, Iris, was going to be the focal point. She had so many adventures, so many different friends, I thought for sure the story would be about her, and it was, sort of.

But, it wasn't. And the deafness? Everyone was either able to finger spell, or knew how to speak, and Macy rarely had the breaks in not knowing that the girl in <em>You're Welcome, Universe</em> where words were left out if she couldn't read their lips. I felt that story was more realistic about the Deaf community than this one was.

So, for not being daring, or terribly exciting, this book gets three stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I recently got my hands on a review copy of Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green. I adored her last verse novel: Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles, so reading this one was a no-brainer.

I fell for Macy instantly. I have been a tween girl with a mom about to remarry. I remember all of the conflicting emotions, wanting Mom to be happy, not liking or disliking the soon-to-be-stepfather so much as not knowing how things were going to change and hadn’t they changed enough already for crying out loud?

Macy is a child thrust into the need for mature adult emotions and decisions. Her best friend and her mother seem unconcerned, though we know they do love Macy. She simply hasn’t done the best job of communicating her feelings clearly, which is the case for most early teen girls and boys. Emotions are difficult for adults to communicate and understand, so imagine trying to figure them out at thirteen.

The theme of communication struggles is symbolized by Macy’s loss of hearing. She uses sign language to communicate and not everyone signs. Even those who do sign aren’t as fluent as her mother, and her mother is the person she is having the most struggle communicating with. I think this illustrates that even when we understand the words (or signs) another person is giving us, that doesn’t mean we always understand the meaning behind those words (or signs).

As for the rainbow goddess, well, it’s no secret I adore relationships between kids/teens and the elderly. I love to read and write them. I had plenty of them when I was a kid. My favorite church small group as an adult has included women ages 26 (that was me) to 80. People of different ages learn from one another, and I love love love love that.

Everything about this book was wonderful. It’s a novel to share with your child, to read while eating warm cookies with cold milk, to pass onto a friend…

This was a great novel-in-verse about coming to terms with change. The main character, Macy, lives with her mother, who is getting remarried. When the marriage happens, she will move in with her new stepfather and stepsisters, and she is not happy about it. Not even a little bit. While she is waiting for the big move, she is told that she must help her elderly neighbor pack for a move of her own, to a nursing home. This story evolves out of the evolution of her relationship with her neighbor and her realization that she can handle and make things work out for herself. Macy is deaf, and though that does play a small role in the book, it is not the primary focus of the story. The novel, though not very long, is so powerfully written that it swallows the reader up almost immediately and remains almost inescapably engrossing until the end. I really loved reading this story. It made me think and generally brought me some measure of joy. Well done.

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess
By: Shari Green
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"If you love something, you should love it extravagantly. " (page 46)

"There are so many stories of extravagant kindness
Extravagant goodness
Extravagant bravery.
I would like my life to tell such a story." (Page 228)

Oh my goodness, my heart is so full after reading this book (for the second time)! Yes, it is that good. I'm trying to define all my emotions but they are jumbled up together. Please read!

Format:
The book is written in a free poem style. Do not let the format put you off from reading this fantastic book. The words are few but the story is rich and complex.
The main character (Macy) is deaf. The format of the book helps to follow the different forms of communication that happen in Macy's world. The narrative is written regularly, flush on the left. Any words that are signed (through sign language) are shown in dark indented script and the words that are written on paper (between neighbor Iris and Macy) are shown in a larger italic type script (also indented - almost floating in the middle of the page). This sort of visual approach makes the story even more accessible. The format invites the reader to process language in multiple ways (as does Macy).

Characters
Macy is the main protagonist. Her mom is marrying a man with twin daughters. Macy is feeling stress about changing homes and being part of a new family. She is deaf and this adds another element to her discomfort. This man will be her stepdad but he doesn't know much sign language yet. He tries but is unable to connect with Macy. People are talking and not including her. What a wretched feeling. So Macy and her mom are preparing to move and so, it turns out, is her neighbor, Iris (named after the goddess of rainbows 🌈 ). Iris is being moved into an assisted living facility. The reasoning for this is not specified but there seems to be several factors. Her physical and mental health are both deteriorating. I think the author must have experience with this sort of thing because her empathy for Iris is palpable. Iris has moments of confusion that the author captures in a very real and empathetic way. My own mom has Alzheimer's and Iris' behavior is very indicative of someone in the early stages of this disease. Macy is sent to Iris' house to help box up books for the move (donate, recycle, keep). Iris does not (at first) speak using sign language. The two though learn to communicate in various ways (lip reading, sign language, written words). They find themselves connecting through a love of books. Each of them is facing huge changes. Iris, with her life experiences, helps Macy see that life is still worth living extravagantly. When Macy realizes this, she opens herself to being a part of her new family. Macy comes through this challenging time in her life more aware of who she is and the kind of person that she hopes to be.

Plot:
The story is about coping with change. Life is full of unexpected moments. How do we cope? Iris shows Macy that if you embrace change, even unpleasant change (like moving into an assisted living facility) then you are in charge of your own reaction. Will you choose to find the positive in life? Will you choose happiness?

In conclusion:
Please read this book! It's ideal for young people but adults will love it too. Age 11 and up will find the themes very relatable.. I suspect too that kids will find the book's conclusion to be comforting. We can't keep change from happening (as Macy attempts) but we can find a way to be a part of the change.

This is a lovely story. The main character is mainly dealing with the uncertainty of her mother's upcoming wedding and her stepfather and stepsisters. This will be relatable to so many young readers. She's also dealing with familiar friend problems and other issues of self-identity. I loved the way threads of gardening and baking and favorite books were woven through the verse to make it all feel fresh.

A cute, heartwarming read. Shari Green perfectly captures the voice of a young girl experiencing big, scary changes in her life such as her mother remarrying and her family moving. The friendship between her and her elderly neighbor, Iris, is extremely touching and I loved how beneficial it was to the both of them. We need more stories about platonic relationships transcending generational gaps. Would recommend to young readers.