"[I]ntricate novel.... lyrical writing."
     —Publishers Weekly

"Kalpana is one of the liveliest elders to walk the pages of a young adult novel in some time."
     —Chicago Tribune

"Clarke is brilliant at making gossamer connections between her characters."
     —Booklist

Show All Reviews

"[I]ntricate novel.... lyrical writing."
     —Publishers Weekly

"Kalpana is one of the liveliest elders to walk the pages of a young adult novel in some time."
     —Chicago Tribune

"Clarke is brilliant at making gossamer connections between her characters."
     —Booklist

"Peculiar Ms. Dallimore has asked her 7B students to write an essay responding to the question ‘Who Am I?’; the assignment functions to reveal a wealth of unobvious connections to the reader as the teens learn about themselves and, unknowingly, one another … A dash of magical realism gently supports the cadre of voices and imbues the tale with a thoughtful humor. This quietly powerful tale explore the individual significance of each personal narrative and the many unforeseen ways in which lives touch one another; it is the kind of story that leaves the reader silently begging for it not to grow predictable, and it doesn’t. Clarke effectively gets in to the heads of an ensemble of characters, some repeatedly, others for a sole section, and gently weaves their lives together into a cohesive tale of dreams realized and self-understanding achieved."
     —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"[C]harmingly different. ...[M]oving—and funny, too. ...[U]nusual and amusing."
     —KLIATT

"[A]n intriguing, fast-paced story that includes a light buildup of suspense and touches of fantasy."
     —School Library Journal

"This complex narrative is told from the point of view of various family members, friends, the teacher and even the school cleaning woman, in a way that might be confusing to readers unaccustomed to a fully omniscient narrator. Nevertheless, the humor in this intricate blend of fairy tale elements, Indian culture, school story, friendship and family tensions should carry them through to the warmly satisfying ending."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"This abstract novel-tinged with eerie surrealism-focuses on the question of identity as it moves from character to character connecting the lives of the students and their families."
     —Horn Book Guide

"Australian author Judith Clarke’s extraordinary novel weaves the stories of five different characters on the verge or in the midst of changes both small and large. Clarke portrays each of their lives with a deft touch as she reveals how moments of understanding can be subtle or even anticlimactic but still have tremendous transformative power in a narrative that also features marvelous secondary characters. … With a sure hand, the author seamlessly shifts from realism into fantasy, sometimes blurring the lines but always grounding her story in the ultimately kind and caring hearts of her characters."
     —CCBC Choices (University of Wisconsin)

"Told from an omniscient POV, the narrative adroitly mixes humor, folktales, peer pressure, and a sense of family."
     —ALAN Review

"Sublime … it defies all simple assessments and classifications … The cool thing about this book is the essay assignment, the demand that the students answer the question of personal identity. Clarke gives Neema and her classmates full reign with their answers and they cover a wide range of possibilities, each more unexpected than the last. She also makes Kalpana one of the warmest and most fascinating elderly characters I have encountered in fiction in a long time. And Ms. Dallimore, well, Ms. Dallimore is really too funny and her love life is hysterical. Ms. Dallimore’s antics alone are worth the price of the book … a truly original book."
     —Eclectica Magazine

"This beautiful novel explores how we decide who we are, how we communicate with others, how the generations of the past shape us, how different cultures view things, and how we accept that it’s time to grow and change and see the beauty in these changes.... Rich characters of all ages and cultures express themselves beautifully throughout this novel, and the reader comes to understand each of them more as the story moves along and weaves their lives all together. A lovely read."
     —Bay Views, Association of Children's Librarians