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Reviewed by: Anna Bayerl, Junior High School Librarian Title: Saints of the Household Author: Ari Tison Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 8 - Adult Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Abusive parent Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I chose this book because I want to learn more about the lives of indigenous teens. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: A good support system can go a long way to helping one make sense of the world.
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Review:
Max and Jay are brothers who are less than a year apart in age. They are seniors in high school. Although they live in the United States, their mother comes from the Bribri tribe in Costa Rica and their father is white. At the beginning of the story the boys feel like pariahs after coming to the aid of their cousin, Nicole, when it appears that her boyfriend is harming her. The boyfriend, Luca, is the top soccer player at their school and is very charismatic. "Everyone likes Luca." The boys meet with a school counselor on a regular basis as a result of their actions against Luca. At home, the brothers try to help their mother as their father becomes more and more violent after losing his job and becoming addicted to alcohol. Not only are the boys trying to figure out how to deal with what is happening at both school and at home, they are experiencing changes in the relationship they share and trying to discover who they are. This is a dual narrative providing the perspective of Jay in vignettes and that of Max in verse.
What impressed me most in this novel was the depiction of the complexity of emotions and relationships. Luca has abusive tendencies, but is popular and well-liked by classmates and members of the community. Their abusive father, goes to church and temporarily lives with their minister trying to get his act together. The book does not candy-coat anything but shows realistic means for dealing with, and sometimes overcoming, problems. Their grandfather (their mother's father) moves in with them when the father leaves and he provides a loving, stable force. The themes of the possibility of resilience and the value of family are strong ones in this story. The use of vignettes and verse pulled me in quickly. Rather than chapters, the reader learns about Jay and Max in brief bits and with page headings like, "Counseling," and "Potatoes," and "The Two Men and the Mystical Eagles." Max's verses are not titled but often take on different shapes. I'm not sure if a student would pick this book up simply based on the cover, but with a quick book talk and a flip through the pages, it can be sold. I believe most teens would find it relatable.
NPR had a great seven-minute interview with the author: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/26/1166114392/ari-tison-on-her-novel-saints-of-the-household
Number of party hats:
Find more about Saints of the Household at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website
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