This is certainly a thought provoking read and tackles some weighty subjects - bullying and climate change amongst them - but I felt it lacked a little soul or fluidity.
Leah is a teenager who has a "strange" experience one night in the park and, off the back of this, starts to examine who she is and where she comes from.
This exploration is aided by her friend Maia (who seems like some kind of undercover guru) and her attendance at a summer school. It's here that she joins a film making group and they embark on creating a film examining what home means and climate change.
At times I felt that the book was a bit preachy and one dimensional. I never really felt as though I understood Leah's character or feelings, the narration felt rather cold. I would have benefited from more time being devoted to her experience in the park as I didn't really appreciate/understand the extent of her "out of body" moment.
On the plus side there were some beautiful illustrations and useful examples on the value of compromise and aiming to see things from others' points of view.
Leah is a teenager who has a "strange" experience one night in the park and, off the back of this, starts to examine who she is and where she comes from.
This exploration is aided by her friend Maia (who seems like some kind of undercover guru) and her attendance at a summer school. It's here that she joins a film making group and they embark on creating a film examining what home means and climate change.
At times I felt that the book was a bit preachy and one dimensional. I never really felt as though I understood Leah's character or feelings, the narration felt rather cold. I would have benefited from more time being devoted to her experience in the park as I didn't really appreciate/understand the extent of her "out of body" moment.
On the plus side there were some beautiful illustrations and useful examples on the value of compromise and aiming to see things from others' points of view.