Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in 2020, this melancholy verse novel by Lucianovic (The League of Picky Eaters) stars young asthmatic Archie, who's experiencing a particularly strong disconnect from family and friends while living through the pandemic in California: "Loneliness/ is a word I knew/ before/ but it wasn't a word I felt/ before." He especially mourns the loss of closeness with his older brother Hank, who seems to be thriving in their new situation, pushing Archie away when he needs Hank most. Feeling increasingly unseen and "muted," Archie grows acutely oppressed by the rote sameness of lockdown, which is disrupted by wildfires. Though Archie's overarching trajectory in dealing with negative emotions, as well as his understanding of his estrangement with Hank, feel overly mature, many readers will identify with his struggles with long-distance learning and feelings of isolation. His discovery of and growing fascination with a hummingbird propels him toward positivity and eventually helps him make the empathetic connections he longs for, shifting the story focus to Archie's empowerment and interpersonal growth and resulting in a satisfyingly realistic resolution. All characters read as white. Ages 8--12. (Feb.)
Horn Book Review
Lucianovic documents the life of her protagonist during COVID-19 when "every day / everything / is the same boring same." Archie's father works from his bedroom, his mother from the kitchen, and his older brother is still allowed to play outside with friends (some unmasked). Archie wonders, "I don't know / how you can be lonely / when you're stuck / in your house / with a family / who has no / choice but to be / with you / but I know / that's the way it is." COVID has created a near-dystopian world, and the boring ordinariness of Archie's life belies the dangers of a time-warped existence where "a week feels much longer / than it did before. / A day takes / forever to end. / And time feels like it's made of worksheets." Archie simply wants connection -- with parents, brother, classmates. The hummingbirds outside his window represent that, with their happy, friendly, "cozy" whirring-wing sounds reminding him of family moments he misses. Lucianovic portrays Archie's interior world in straightforward first-person verse that effectively captures the voice of an elementary school boy living through extraordinary times. Dean SchneiderJanuary/February 2024 p.99 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Thanks to COVID-19, thinks Archie, nearly 10, nothing is normal now. His parents are working at home while he and his older brother, Hank, have been relegated to distance learning, which makes Archie feel invisible. And while he loves to laugh, he feels lonely. His life changes one day, however, when he sees a hummingbird and, fascinated, starts a hummingbird journal, determined to learn everything he can about the tiny birds. With his mother's help, he puts up feeders, which attract a hummingbird he calls Ruby. Ruby disappears when a thunderstorm causes fires that fill the air around Archie's California home with smoke. Happily, Ruby returns, and Archie's teacher invites him to tell the class all about Ruby and other hummingbirds. Lucianovic's first-person novel in verse is extremely well written and filled with colorful phrases: Archie is fascinated by eyebrows, which he calls the stand-up comedians of the face. Ruby's wings whir like his friend Liam's cat's purr. Young readers who have experienced COVID-19 (and who like birds) are sure to enjoy this quiet novel.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--4--When the world shuts down in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Archie struggles to adapt to school moving online. His older brother, Hank, seems to be thriving, and even gets to spend time with friends outside, but Archie feels increasingly alone and isolated, and doesn't think that his teacher and his classmates care if he is in class or not. On top of that, the California wildfires make even the outside air dangerous for him to breathe because of his asthma. When he sees a hummingbird in his yard, he becomes fascinated with her and sets up feeders all around the house. Over time, the hummingbird becomes something that helps Archie find and build connections, both with his brother and with his class. Told in a series of free verse poems, this novel captures the confusion and isolation of the first year of the pandemic, especially for kids. The author uses the metaphor of being on mute in an online class to describe struggles that often go unheard, from the fears Archie's classmates have about situations at home to the natural disasters caused by climate change. This book would make for a great lead-in to classroom discussions or writing prompts, giving kids the opportunity to share their own memories of lockdown. VERDICT This beautifully written novel in verse offers a sensitive reflection on the pandemic and its emotional toll, even for those families who were able to stay healthy and financially stable during lockdown.--Ashley Larsen
Kirkus Review
A California boy chronicles the long, difficult Covid-19 lockdown in verses that explore his confused emotions. On the day "that started everything" and that "was also a day that ended everything," Archie's life is turned upside down. School is abruptly closed, his parents must work from home, and big brother Hank is ever more difficult. Archie's asthma puts him at risk, causing his parents to take ever-greater precautions. All this, plus attending "(not real) school at home," makes him feel more and more isolated, unseen, and muted. He has outbursts of anger and despair: "…even though we're together / stuck inside the house / we're not really together-together." Archie's imagination is captured when he hears a brief buzzing sound, senses something whipping past, and witnesses "the smallest bird ever," and he soon finds a new purpose. With help from his family, he carefully provides nectar for his "hummingbird restaurant" and becomes especially attached to Ruby, a hummingbird with red patches, as he watches for and worries about her, especially when a wildfire rages. Some poems are lists or consist of a few lines; others flow breathlessly, offering detailed accounts of events, beautiful descriptions, or information about hummingbirds. Archie often repeats important words, phrases, or concepts in a rhythmic way that emphasizes his escalating emotions. He's intensely loving, deeply compassionate, insightful, inventive, and expressive. Readers will gasp in wonder and empathy, cry and sometimes laugh, cheer at the upbeat conclusion, and feel every emotion that's so powerfully expressed. Brilliant. (author's note) (Verse fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
