Can our loved ones send us messages from beyond the grave? Freya June Sun believes the answer is yes in the heartfelt middle-grade novel Maybe It's a Sign by E.L. Shen (The Comeback).
Seventh-grader Freya is still reeling from her father's sudden death "eight months and five days" ago. Though life has been hard without him, Freya knows her father isn't completely gone: every time she faces a challenge, a pair of red birds shows up. In Chinese culture, "lucky things always came in pairs" and red is a particularly lucky color. Freya is certain the birds are her dad sending her encouragement, especially in relation to her viola playing. When a class project sparks an interest in cooking, Freya faces a difficult choice: continue with the viola, of which her dad was so supportive, or try something new and all her own.
Maybe It's a Sign is a tender and deeply personal exploration of grief. Inspired by Shen's own loss, Freya's story shows the ways in which already difficult and changing relationships for young teens can be amplified by grief. Shen writes with such immediacy that Freya's budding hobbies, and subsequent potential first romance, may feel as exciting and scary to the reader as they do to Freya. Shen's supporting cast is memorable and lovably imperfect, adding to the realism. Readers can also try their hand at a couple of Freya's recipes, included in the backmatter. Maybe It's a Sign is an earnest and memorable story about grieving and growing up. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer