Where the Water Takes Us by Alan Barillaro
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Special thanks to Penguin Books for sending a copy for review.
Summary:
Ava’s mom is about to have twins, and the pregnancy isn’t going well. All Ava wants to do is stay by her mother’s side, but instead, she is sent away to stay with her grandparents. Normally, spending time at the lake with Nonna and Nonno is wonderful. But everything is different now. While her mom’s hospital visits are getting serious back home, Ava grapples with anxiety. As summer storms rock the island, electricity goes out at the cabin, and an annoyingly cheerful boy named Cody seems determined to pop up everywhere she goes. Ava can’t be distracted from the feeling that something terrible, something irrevocable, is going to happen to her mom while she is gone.
When a bird dies in front of her, Ava is sure it is a sign that she is cursed—the last thing she, or her family, needs. But if a curse has been placed on her, there must a way to break it. So Ava makes a deal: If she can take care of two orphaned bird eggs, she will have paid off her debt, and her family will be alright.
With everyone she loves on the line, Ava will do everything in her power to make sure that her mom, her twin baby brothers, her birds, and even Cody all come through the summer safely (Goodreads).
Thoughts:
Where the Water Takes Us is like a Pixar film turned into a book! This is no surprise as the author, Alan Barillaro, has worked as an animator, writer, and director for Pixar Studios over the span of more than twenty-five years! This story undoubtedly has that charming Pixar feeling with its catchy, emotional, yet straightforward storyline and universal lesson that applies to all stages of life.
Although the target audience for this book is eight to twelve year olds, I think the story has a universal appeal that would be highly enjoyable for children, teenagers, and adults alike. The general vibes are very warm, wholesome, and calming, and this was an easy read that helped me destress when I felt overwhelmed throughout the week. I love the nostalgic feeling as it reminds me of my summer breaks when I was younger where I would be surrounded by nature or mostly staying with my grandparents.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well anxiety was handled in the book. Often in children’s media, mental health is not given the proper time to truly delve deeper into the topic than just surface level feelings of concern. I really enjoyed how effective yet simple it was, as it’s not commonly the main theme in children’s books, at least from what I remember as a child. This was really refreshing to witness, and I would have loved to read a book on this topic as a child to understand and manage my feelings of anxiety better.
The story dealt with anxiety very well, and I loved reading about being surrounded by nature in the summertime at a remote lakeside cabin; however, the pacing was a bit too quick. Ava and Cody’s friendship felt rushed even from the very beginning. At first, Ava did not want anything to do with Cody but quickly warmed up to him. It felt very out of character for Ava initially; it genuinely seemed as if she did not want to befriend him due to their opposing personalities. After warming up to Cody, their friendship was quickly broken apart and then pieced back together like nothing happened.
Ava and Cody’s friendship felt like a rollercoaster of mixed emotions with too many ups and downs to fit into the pages, which made the story feel rushed and forced. While Cody was eager to become friends with Ava, she felt indifferent about him and often switched between pushing him away and wanting to be his friend. A lot of this switching happened near the end where it felt like new conflicts were constantly used to test their friendship; except the friendship was very one-sided to the point where I’m not even sure it should be called a friendship. These conflicts also felt like they were being wrapped up too quickly without much time for the characters to process anything. (Spoilers Ahead!) The two poor kids had to endure really traumatic events like extreme storms and Cody almost drowning to death.
The book was a rollercoaster of emotions as it touched on both heartwarming matters and serious themes. The two contrasting ideas were balanced exceedingly well done, and it would be easy for younger children to understand without belittling their knowledge about life so far. I would highly recommend this book to children, teenagers, and adults who want to read something sweet and emotional that’s similar to a Pixar film!
Reviewed by Mika K.