Blood Family by Ann Fine - OPTIONAL

Fine, Ann Blood Family, 291 pages.  Simon and Schuster BFYR, 2017. $18.  Language: R  (15 swears, 5 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13

Edward is four when his mother and her partner move into an apartment that offers little in the way of anything except for a box of old VHS tapes of program about Mr. Perkins (Think Mr. Rogers, in fact the book is dedicated to him.)  Edward is not allowed out of the apartment for three years, he watches Mr. Perkins for a glimpse of what life can be like and he learns how to avoid being beaten by “the beast.” An elderly neighbor rattles officialdom until he is rescued and the rest of the book is about his recovery and how he hits rock bottom, forgives his mom and comes to grips with himself.

The writing format is intriguing. Edward tells his story in first person, but so do the rest of the people that came in and out of his life including Betty who started the rescue ball rolling.  It is interesting to hear from all of the characters.  The book ends positively, I thought about it a lot after I completed reading it, yeah it’s a good one.

I work in a drug and alcohol treatment program and after a discussion with a therapist here we felt like it would be a good book for a traditional school, but it might prove very painful for teens in treatment.  So no I won’t be buying it for my school, but I would recommend it for a non-treatment school.  

HS – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer: Lisa Moeller,  English Teacher/Librarian