Hush by Jacqueline Woodson
Hush
by Jacqueline Woodson
(Audio)
This book jumped out at me because (I think?) it was on some banned/challenged book list. Or maybe it just looked more interesting than the limited selection of YA at Kings Park library.
It's the story of a young girl, Toswiah, whose family has just entered the witness relocation program. Understandably, she has identity issues because of this. Her name is different, her past is made-up, and she has trouble adjusting to a certain extent. However, she's actually one of the most adjusted of all of her family members. Her father was an important cop in Denver and witnessed his fellow cops kill a young, unarmed black boy.
Toswiah and her family are black, so there are race themes throughout, as you might expect. But Toswiah's father is completely beside himself, unable to do what he loves--being a cop. Her mother copes with it by finding a strict religion and looking for meaning in that. And her sister is planning to run away.
Toswiah struggles to not only reinvent herself but find herself and figure out what the real her is.
I liked the book. It was shorter than expected but the themes are very strong. It's a life change I'm sure many people must handle, but not something I would have ever thought about before. I thought it was a great and honest sort of representation. I felt a lot for Toswiah and her family.