War and Millie McGonigle by Karen Cushman, 214 pages. Alfred A. Knopf, 2021. $17. 9781984850102.
Language: PG (2 swears, 0 'F'); Violence: G; Content: PG (Racist comments)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Millie McGonigle is growing up on the coast of California in 1941. After her Gram's sudden death, she is anxious and a little bit obsessed with the dead and dying. And as war comes to America, its easy to see the morbid all around. In this coming-of-age historical fiction, Millie will grow to see her Gram's final message as one of hope and learn how important that hope and positivity will be in war time.
I found this middle grade historical fiction novel to be rather meandering in its storytelling, and thus a little hard to really get into. Its a bit of a different Homefront take than the usual WWII piece as the story begins before Pearl Harbor, and ends before the war concludes. I enjoyed the anxious and gloomy protagonist--it was a delightful change from the usual WWII teens you meet in literature--and this felt very realistic with normal family life happening around big world events. Overall its a nice story but nothing I'd immediately recommend everyone needs to read. The PG rating on content is related to a neighbor family who are very prejudiced; their racist comments are always immediately responded to, however, by the protagonist or her family.
Reviewer: TC
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