Rabbit rabbit

Life rarely dishes out problems one at a time. Butler and Bacon lean into this inconvenient truth in their dual-perspective novel, putting the complexities and messiness of family dynamics and social discord on full display. Bethany ("Bee") and Alice are 12-year-old cousins separated by geography and an unspoken family rift. A tense family gathering in Bee's Minnesota hometown reconnects the girls, who secretly continue to text after Alice's family returns to Seattle and endeavor to uncover what "broke [their] family." Narration alternates between the girls, sensitively revealing Bee's conservative Christian background and Alice's more-liberal, secular perspective. Both families have their own struggles, which are further compounded by the arrival of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown. While some might deem the novel overstuffed, it is nevertheless realistic, and it offers readers excellent opportunities for debate and meaningful discussion on a wide variety of topics, particularly in a classroom setting. Ultimately, the story's message to respectfully communicate and be open-minded regardless of one's personal beliefs is a lesson worth learning.

Years after a fundamental disagreement tears their family in half, it's up to 12-year-old cousins Alice and Bee to clean up a mess that's too big for the grown-ups. Alice and Bee are finally allowed the opportunity to get to know one another when they gather in Minnesota for their grandparents' anniversary party. Though they couldn't be more different, their friendship is immediate and electric. Alice has green hair, lives in liberal Seattle, loves roller derby, and is involved in social justice activism. Bee is a bookworm living in a conservative Minnesota town; her values lean on those of her Lutheran church. Their precious visit is cut short after yet another explosive family argument. This co-authored story is told from the cousins' dual perspectives. Alice and Bee uncover a painful family secret, and they have to stand up to the stubborn adults in their family and face the prospect of reopening complex wounds in order to maintain their relationship. When the Covid-19 pandemic shuts down the United States, the girls must face their differences in values head-on amid tragedies that hit both worldwide and close to home. The girls tenderly share their innermost selves with one another in conversational text message threads that deftly and realistically explore themes of sexuality, abortion, race, and identity with a light touch. Alice and Bee are white; Alice's best friend is Black, and Bee's best friend is a transracially adopted Vietnamese American girl. Relatable, age-appropriate, and more important now than ever.(Fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.