{"id":701,"date":"2024-10-15T13:15:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T13:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=701"},"modified":"2024-10-15T13:15:00","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T13:15:00","slug":"book-review-somebodys-someone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=701","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Somebody\u2019s Someone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Somebody\u2019s Someone<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

by Linda Oatman High<\/p>\n

Genre:<\/strong> Middle Grade Fiction<\/p>\n

ISBN: <\/strong>9781947159877<\/p>\n

Print Length:<\/strong> 184 pages<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span>Buy from Amazon<\/span>\n <\/div>\n

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<\/span>Buy from Bookshop<\/span>\n <\/div>\n

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Reviewed by Samantha Hui<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>A compassionate novel exploring the lifeforce of a child\u2019s love<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Love can be beautiful and nourishing. But love can also be messy, frustrating, and painful. Somebody\u2019s Someone <\/em>is a real & tenderhearted story about loving someone in the throes of self-destruction.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018I have no answers\u2026just love. Love and hope and a sisterly bond that makes me want to find her no matter what.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Many wish their lives were like an action movie. For those with mental illnesses and self-destructive behaviors, every day can be one\u2014but in place of glory, there are real life consequences. Linda Oatman High\u2019s Somebody\u2019s Someone <\/em>teaches young readers a compassionate perspective on those suffering from addiction and mental illness. Though self-destructive behaviors can negatively impact those closest to us, where there is love, there is hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Marion and I are the Accidental Experts on Missing Mothers. Reluctant Experts.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Ruby Louise Bean lives in a pinkish house with her Aunt Marion and (sometimes) her mother. At just twelve years old, precocious Ruby has to deal with issues no one else her age has to. Ruby\u2019s mother Ruthie suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia; the paranoia and adrenaline-seeking behaviors often draw her away from Ruby and into dangerous situations. When Ruthie runs away again fueled by a government conspiracy, Ruby knows the drill and helps Aunt Marion post \u201cMissing\u201d posters around town.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd here we are, my aunt and me: thumbtacking our whole world up on a board of holey cork, in between things like a refrigerator for sale and free kittens.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruby\u2019s summer vacation becomes a chase to find her mom before anyone else can. As Aunt Marion and Ruby search for clues as to Ruthie\u2019s whereabouts, they are joined by two homeless people and a dog. Daisy is an eccentric hippy who always finds the positive in any situation. Benny is a paranoid conspiracy theorist, and his dog Nixon is as sweet as can be. The motley crew set off to D.C. and NYC in search of a woman who doesn\u2019t want to be found. Though the prospects look grim, the group is proof that goodness and worth are found in the little things and each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes a dog is all you need. I\u2019ve always wished I could have one at home, but Ant Marion says that our life is \u2018too chaotic for an animal.\u2019 I always wonder if it\u2019s too chaotic for a dog, how can we humans stand it?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The story is told from Ruby\u2019s perspective. She does poorly in school and avoids making friends because her time and energy are spent worrying about her mother. Readers will sympathize with and admire Ruby for her emotional strength and headstrong attitude toward finding her mother. She is forced to make decisions that no child should have to make. From Ruby\u2019s perspective, we can see her self doubt and confusion as she navigates a truly adult situation. Yayira Dzamesi\u2019s beautiful, soft illustrations scattered throughout the novel also paint Ruby and her crew as sympathetic characters. The images convey a certain vulnerability and add emotional depth to the already masterful storytelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Aunt Marion doesn\u2019t understand: When a kid is trying super-hard in one area of her life (my Mama), it\u2019s hard to extend any effort into another area of life (school).\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The book also does an excellent job of not vilifying those struggling with mental illness. People make mistakes, even life-changing mistakes. They are called criminal or bad, but we are taught in this story that even those who are considered good could be pushed to do questionable things when they feel at a loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Somebody\u2019s Someone <\/em>carefully addresses dark and complex topics through a compassionate, community-driven lens. This book is great for both young readers and grown ups, teaching us the multidimensionality of people and how we should do better by each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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<\/span>Buy from Amazon<\/span>\n <\/div>\n

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<\/span>Buy from Bookshop<\/span>\n <\/div>\n

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Thank you for reading Samantha Hui\u2019s book review of Somebody\u2019s Someone <\/em>by Linda Oatman High! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.<\/p>\n

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The post Book Review: Somebody\u2019s Someone<\/a> appeared first on Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Somebody\u2019s Someone by Linda Oatman High Genre: Middle Grade Fiction ISBN: 9781947159877 Print Length: 184 pages Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Samantha Hui A compassionate novel exploring the lifeforce of a child\u2019s love Love can be beautiful and nourishing. But love can also be messy, frustrating, and painful. Somebody\u2019s Someone is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}