After Zero

4.5? Wow, this one was so hard for me at the beginning.. the pain of silence is so tangibly heavy and so stifling I was having a visceral reaction to it (which is likely a sign at how well this was done!). I was grasping for her voice and for silence to be broken in the story. As the mystery picked up I found myself diving in and I ended up liking the magical realism? (Maybe not what I should call some of the more fantastical parts?) more than I thought I would. I’m not saying it hit out of the park 5 stars just because I felt the ending was too quick and perhaps too neat. That being said, this own-voices perspective of selective mutism was raw and lovely.. I would definitely pass this one on to students. I will say that it recs for 8 and up, but I would say 9+ because of some of the intense moments and themes. Great read!

A fascinating book about adolescence, anxiety and mental health. I think students will enjoy Elise's intriguing story as she describes her struggles with fitting in and speaking up.

12 year old Elise hasn't been talking much lately. In fact, she has been tallying her every utterance. The goal, zero spoken words in a day. Why would she want to speak anyway? Every time she opens her mouth she spills a secret, insults a "friend's" father, or is completely unrelatable and awkward. This is not what she thought it would be like when she convinced her disinterested and secretive mother to quit homeschooling and let her go to public school. Everything goes from bad to worse when Elise discovers what her mother has been hiding for years.

After Zero is a poignant story of how anxiety can manifest itself in a child. The author deftly depicts Elise's progressive verbal paralysis, invoking the reader to beg, "Elise, defend yourself! Please."

Christina Collins includes an author's note describing her experience with selective mutism, as well as resouces.--Highly Recommended.

This is a very readable story with a main character, Elise, who is strong and very likable. At first readers may wonder that she does not speak because she is afraid of saying the wrong thing and become embarrassed. However, as the story progresses, and readers see how distant her relationship with her mother is, they will wonder if their first assumption was wrong. And it is. Elise’s story is tragic with a little magical element added in. This is a great choice for realistic fiction fans.

We all say things we wish we could take back — the stupid joke no one laughed at, the mispronounced word, the awkward conversation with a crush. Well, Elise has figured out the solution: don’t talk. Not just be careful what you say — don’t say anything at all. Elise has been working on lessening her daily spoken-word count for months now, ever since starting public school. The ultimate goal? Zero words spoken. It’s the only way to be sure that she doesn’t embarrass herself, or let slip someone else’s secret, or hurt someone’s feelings. The question is, what happens after Elise gets to zero? She used to think that was when the game would be over. But she’s starting to realize that at some point her silence stopped being her choice, and became something she can’t control. As events in her life spiral rapidly toward disaster, will Elise ever be able to speak up?

As an educator, this story broke my heart. Elise's story is probably so similar to many other students, and I believe it is one that many students would enjoy. It opens the door to conversations about being kind, forgiveness, and learning how to grow together.

After Zero is a breathtaking middle grade read. I am reluctant to label it as middle grade because it is also a wonderful read for any age. I loved that there were so many twists and turns and just when you thought you had it all figured it out, you didn’t! As a middle school teacher, I would recommend this book to other teachers and students. I think it would make a great read aloud and would have many wonderful discussion points and important themes to point out. The character development was strong and Collins used vivid descriptions in a most perfect way. I really don’t have any complaints and would give this book five stars. I cannot wait to book talk this one!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

After Zero is a beautiful window into the world of selective mutism. The story will keep readers intrigued as the protagonist, Elise, propels the plot forward while barely speaking. Most of us are used to the way that we use words to interact and control others, but in the face of someone who tallies their words every day, aiming for that lowest number, we really get a view of how much impact words really have. Elise measures her words carefully, because she's learned that speaking only seems to cause trouble. In her silence, a bubble has formed in her throat that she sometimes can't get past, even when she wants to speak. Instead of conversations between characters, people talk at Elise and she thinks back. When faced with a family mystery and some strange occurrences at school, how will Elise move forward? Does the answer lie in her silence?

I think that every middle grade reader will be able to relate to the feeling of instant remorse from speaking words and to the cruel clarity of hindsight. I hope that reading this will cause kids to reconsider their own views on "quiet kids" and take more time to consider the purpose of their own words. This book is also a vocal reminder that you can never truly know someone else's experience and what's going on inside someone else's head. Thank you to Christina Collins for giving us a middle grade avenue into the mental health conversation!

I can't wait to add this book to my classroom shelf when it releases!