I want to start of with telling you all it’s Tori @ Book Faery birthday! be sure to head over and send some love
Next I have some not so good news – I originally wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to do this review. I'm not really thinking straight but although I haven’t had a conversation with this author before or got to know her personally, it feels like something very close to us all, has hit us all, so very hard.
Author of Burnout and The Mermaids Tail - Lisa Madigan - has some tough news to share, please send warm thoughts her way HERE and on her TWITTER
Artichoke Hearts By Sita Brahmachari
Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books (7 Jan 2011)
Genre: Young Adult Source: MyKindaBook
Synopsis -Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her.
An incredibly insightful, honest novel exploring the delicate balance, and often injustice, of life and death - but at its heart is a celebration of friendship, culture - and life.
My Thoughts – Mira Levenson’s your average 12 year old girl. She goes to school and doesn’t get along with certain people, comes home to her ever nosey parents and demanding and sometimes annoying younger brother. And now? Mira thinks she has got it bad... for Jide Jackson! mysterious and relaxed as well as popular he seems in a league of his own. Mira hardly thinks she stands a chance and really doesn’t have any intention of thinking so, despite her best friend Millie always being there, this time there isn’t anything anyone can do, her beloved Grandma, Nana Josie has been diagnosed with cancer and It is too late.
Going through my fair share of family pain right now I can relate to her. It is so hard watching a loved one slowly fade, knowing that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, but watch and wait. Nana Josie is an incredible woman, strong, humorous and loving, throughout the novel, she is the one thing that keeps the reader both laughing and weeping. Her love for her family is immense, at times if anything it would seem that Nana Josie is comforting her family rather than, them her.
Like her Grandma, Mira has a great talent for Art, and through this gift Mira often expresses her inner thoughts alongside her brother Krish who might have a talent of his own. Krish is shy, and at in his own way secretly caring, where he will give his sister a hug, or rest his head on her shoulder but think of it as “Uncool” It was lovely to see their relationship because I share a very similar one with my younger brother. Somewhere along the line through this hard period they become a support system for each other and I found that extremely touching.
In a sense, Mira reminded me the innocence of being young and naive, where besides the hard time she is going through other notable highlights which you think as stress at that age, are boys or breaking up with friends. It made me want to re - live my younger years and think “Was I really like that once?” What I really liked about Mira was her inner strength, I saw a lot of her Grandma in her, she was also very mature for her age and extremely likable. What makes this novel so much more lovable is how great Jide is, he is so caring and naive in his own sensitive way, but Jide comes with secrets he would rather forget, secrets that haunt him even now..
Mira is turning into a women and experiencing changes inside and out, her and Jide are at the age where quick glances and the slightest smile sends their hearts racing, moments that are so precious and should be held on to for as long as possible.
Artichoke Hearts is a heart-warming, bitter-sweet novel which makes you wonder how there can be so much love and happiness around a women who is dying? How the women who is dying and in so much pain can look at life and smile and remain content? It makes one think to themselves, I wouldn't mind going that way, smiling and surrounded with love, I wouldn't mind that at all. Yet sad and hurt for those who unlike Nana Josie have to face it alone, with no love and no loving family by their side filled only with "what - ifs"
"It's one of the many mysteries of the heart.... They're in love." Then she opens her eyes and smiles, like the sun breaking through a grey cloud. "Life goes on, Mira."(Nana Josie to Mira)
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