“Then make me choose and watch what happens.”
Oh, my heart.
And Then, Boom! is a story about a middle grade boy who is forced to grow up too quickly. 11-year-old Joe’s world turns upside down when his mom is arrested and skips out on bail, leaving Joe and his Grandmum without a place to live. Joe and his Grandmum then embark on a journey plagued with food insecurity, displacement, and abandonment that many face. There were many scenes in this book that broke my heart, and served as a reminder that most people are one paycheck away from experiencing homelessness firsthand. What really shone through in this book, for me, was the “small” gestures from others that meant EVERYTHING to Joe. The kindness of others can be such a lifechanging impact. What may feel like not enough can be the difference between having something to eat/wear for another day. It doesn’t have to be a grand expensive gift or an organized event, it can just be a casserole. You never know exactly what people are going through but, if you’re paying attention, you can see when others are struggling. This book is rich with discussion opportunities and I will be using it for my middle grade book club when it comes out.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

For middle-schooler Joe Oak, just when he thinks his bumpy day/week/month might finally level out--Then, Boom!-- another obstacle arises and he's struggling again. An unreliable and absent mother means Joe is often on his own. But he's heard stories about bad foster homes, and will do whatever it takes to avoid Child Protective Services. One day, after Joe's mother up and disappears, his grandmum steps into the void. The two struggle with food and housing insecurity and unpaid bills, but Joe's friends, an older neighbor, and an observant teacher offer quiet assistance. Then, Boom!...a tragedy occurs, and Joe decides to try the unthinkable: make it on his own. Yet with two puppies and their mother at his side, his struggles eventually become a life or death situation, especially when a tornado takes aim. In the end, Joe must go against all his instincts and learn to open up, to allow others in--people who might be able to offer him the stable, loving home he's always wanted and every child deserves. This novel in verse from Lisa Fipps features a remarkable main character that will open tweens' eyes, minds, and hearts to those around them for whom getting through each day might be a challenge.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a preview of the book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

You’re going to be cheering for Joe, the everyday superhero we’ve been waiting for. Joe is a sweet kid who’s been dealt a rough hand and it just keeps getting worse. So many kids are going to relate to Joe. And hopefully others gain empathy for their classmates who might be having similar experiences.

This is an amazing book, I read it in one sitting, and all I could do was root for this courageous kid who behaves like an adult and is clear-headed enough to appreciate the help and kindness he is given and the mess he is in.

Joe Oak lives with his English grandmother, on just one paycheck and food stamps, and knows what hunger is—hunger for food, certainty, and a different reality. Love holds him and his grandmother together, but it will not be enough, and when everything crashes around him with a big BOOM! Joe will rely on his friends and the kindness of strangers to survive until there is nothing else to fall back on.

There are such appropriate comparisons in the book for the helplessness Joe experiences. Written in verse by Lisa Flips (award-winning author of Starfish), the book is the most heartfelt account I've had the opportunity to read about what it means to go to sleep hungry, a thing that happens more and more in America. As Joe says, perhaps if we all did something about it, there wouldn't be hungry kids in our schools and communities.
Lisa writes from experience and has this to say about hope: When bad things happen that leave your mind, heart, and soul shattered, you learn from and then discard the dreadful pieces, and then you can puzzle the good back together just the way you want them to create the life you’ve always dreamed of. Broken things and people are beautiful".