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Reviewed by: Kathleen Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: When It All Syncs Up
Author: Maya Ameyaw
Publisher: Annick Press
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 8-12 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: The author has a note in the beginning of the book, describing that there instances of racial discrimination, mental health issues, eating disorders and abuse. There is also alcohol abuse and allusions to sexual abuse.
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: The reviews were wonderful, it received starred reviews from both Kirkus and SLJ. I am trying to purchase and read more books about diverse characters- this book deals with characters struggling with mental health issues and deals with issues of racism.
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
"Sometimes in life, things do sync up!" |
Review:
Aisha is a ballet student at an elite school. The story opens as she navigates her way through the school, obviously very alone. She is preparing to audition for a coveted apprenticeship at the Western Canadian Ballet. She nails the audition, and her teacher singles out her performance as exceptional. However, she does not get the apprenticeship, because she is black, and doesn't "look the part." Shaken and crushed she leaves school for break and heads to Toronto to visit her best friend, and fellow dancer, Neil. She arrives to find Neil in the hospital, unconscious from alcohol poisoning. She meets another friend of Neil's from the school of the arts they attend, Ollie.
Ameyaw slowly unfolds the story of these three young adults. She intricately weaves the background of their emotional and physical sufferings into a story that shows what it is like to be a struggling teenager and artist (be it a dancer or musician) in a world that does not embrace diversity or understand mental health. The story unfolds in a very subtle way. We slowly learn about Aisha struggles with her relationship with her mother, her parents' divorce, and the pressures to study ballet that led her to suffer from an eating disorder, and a struggle with dissociative disorder. We learn of Neil's struggle with alcohol and his father's disappointment in him, and his verbal abuse. We learn of Ollie's struggles with anxiety, and the alluding to his suffering of physical/sexual abuse. The characters' wounds are not all recent but are still very real. Aisha ends up leaving her elite dance academy to attend the public school of the arts with Neil and Ollie. She feels here she will have more opportunities. However, even there she still suffers racial discrimination. She struggles to come to terms with this, and her past issues with her mother and her eating disorder. We see her also struggle with her relationship with Neil as she tries to help him with his drinking. Her budding romance with Ollie is affected by his past and his anxiety. All three characters eventually realize they need to find the strength to dig deep in themselves and do the work needed to move forward. They realize that relationships need work in order to stand up and persevere. The main theme of this powerful book is that we all need to support each other in finding healing and healthy ways to move forward. One reviewer called this book, "A hopeful, realistic exploration of mental health among teens invested in the world of the arts."
I love the title of this book, "When it All Syncs Up." It alludes to the possibility that life can sometimes "sync up" and come together! A very hopeful message.
My one issue with the book is the lack of adults! Aisha's father lives and works in Japan, her mother is not allowed custody of her. Neil's mother is gone, and his father is "away" a lot. Ollie's parents are there but are not an engaged presence at all. I thought this was bizarre.
I think this book could potentially be used in the curriculum. I can see it paired with other titles that explore racial discrimination (this title and "The Violin Conspiracy" both deal with discrimination in the arts) and/or mental health issues. I could easily see this title being grouped with others as part of "literature circle" model.
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For more information about this book, see the publisher's website
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