| I’ve read/listened to a streak of good YA novels lately, which is unusual for me. The latest one I’ve read that I loved is Split, by Minnesota writer Swati Avasthi. I met Swati at an event a year ago and was looking forward to reading her first book.
And now I’m looking forward to reading her second (whatever it is). Jace, 16 years old, finally fights back at his abusive father and leaves home. He tries to reconnect with his estranged brother (who left years before, leaving Jace behind), figure out how to save his mother, and determine who he will be–a violent man like his father, which is the instinctive path, or a man who struggles to control his violent tendencies. Swati created characters SO real that they avoided every stereotype. Would I have thought I could really like (SPOILER ALERT) a teenage guy who had assaulted his girlfriend? No way. But I felt like I really knew and empathized with Jace, and I wanted to see him succeed, rebuild himself. This is a realistic and heartbreaking novel full of hope. |
 |