The Road to After by Rebekah Lowell - ADVISABLE

 The Road to After by Rebekah Lowell, 180 pages . Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022. $17. 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG (psychological and emotional abuse); Violence: PG (dad hits child, child hits mom)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

10yo Lacey, and her 4yo sister, along with their mother, live in constant fear of their abusive father. His strict rules don’t allow them to leave the house. They can’t go to school. He won’t even let them buy fruits and vegetables or watch a movie without him. When he brings home some dental tools and announces that he will be doing some work on the girls’ teeth, they know they must flee. With Dad in jail, the girls all begin to learn what life should be like. Lacey finds an instant bond with nature and learns many life lessons while experiencing freedom for the first time. 

The psychological and emotional abuse the girls endure is handled delicately. There are two brief instances of physical abuse, but within the story Lowell manages to provide the reader with messages of beauty and hope. Perhaps most notable are the constant yet subtle reminders that nature teaches us many things about growth, change, letting go, and finding our way. The characters in this novel -in-verse are implied to be white. 

Tammie H, Librarian