Review: "Hold Fast" by Blue Balliett

I am quite frankly appalled at what is going on in America right now. And I should be. I am saddened that there are people who cannot feel safe while simply living their lives. I am irritated that many of the peaceful protests against racism have been co-opted by opportunists who simply want to loot and destroy. So, I thought that in light of what's been happening, this might be a good book to review this week. It's one of my favorite books by Blue Balliett, an excellent author. Don't be fooled by the Scholastic cover--it is not just a MG book, it can be read, enjoyed and appreciated by YA and even adult readers as well. It covers several themes which seem pertinent--the experiences of Black people and People of Color, problems with our police force--as well as other themes which are important to talk about--homeless shelters, family, dreams, and what home means. 

Hold Fast by Blue Balliett

Where is Early's father? He's not the kind of father who would disappear. But he's gone . . . and he's left a whole lot of trouble behind.

As danger closes in, Early, her mom, and her brother have to flee their apartment. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to move into a city shelter. Once there, Early starts asking questions and looking for answers. Because her father hasn't disappeared without a trace. There are patterns and rhythms to what's happened, and Early might be the only one who can use them to track him down and make her way out of a very tough place.

With her signature, singular love of language and sense of mystery, Blue Balliett weaves a story that takes readers from the cold, snowy Chicago streets to the darkest corner of the public library, on an unforgettable hunt for deep truths and a reunited family.

Worldbuilding/Writing Style

I have never been to Chicago or had to live in a shelter, but it seems like the author did a good job of portraying those things!

Blue Balliett's books are often centered around the ideas of a writer, artist or poet and the patterns that show up in their work, which help her MCs solve problems in their lives (this may sound strange, but it's very well done). In this book, the 'theme artist' is Langston Hughes, whose work I really enjoy. Our choir has done arrangements (by Rollo Dilworth, if you want to look them up) of two of his songs, "Dreams" and "The Dream Keeper", and it was really fun to see both these poems show up in this book.

In addition to the overall theming of the book around Langston Hughes, each chapter is themed around a word. At the beginning of the chapter is the word, and a doodle that 'looks like' the word. The chapter then incorporates the word, often by characters referring to it, but in other ways, too--I won't ruin it for you. :) Balliett's writing style is unique, but enjoyable. One of my favorite things she does in this book is set the scene with short descriptions at the beginning of the book.

Plot/Story

It's taken me awhile to decide what to say about the plot and story of this book, perhaps because it seems so realistic? The plot is very well done, and even on rereads (after not reading it for a few months), I'm often surprised by what comes next! The plot doesn't really "thicken" as much as "twist and turn". There were a few things that irritated me in the story, one of which was that Summer tells the shelter officials that she'll be homeschooling Early for a little while, and then never actually follows up on that, and basically leaves Early to her own devices? And also, it's not quite clear, even at the end, what connection the library had with the kidnapping(leaving this vague so no spoilers). Lastly, some of the denouement seemed left hanging (although this is also a function of realism, for sure) but otherwise the storyline is excellent!

Characters

I LOVE the MCs in this book. I say MCs, although the primary MC is Early, the oldest girl of the family, because the whole family is really a main character, "Dashsumearlyjubie", as Balliett says. Here's the way Balliett describes them, as 'seen' in a photograph: "Boy by girl behind girl by boy: symmetrical and smiling. The father is pale, the mother dark, the kids cocoa and cinnamon. Eyes in this family are green, amber, and smoky topaz."

Dashel: I. Love. Dash. He's such a great dad, and I love the way he takes care of his family the best he can. I also love his thoughts on words!

Summer: "Sum" is a great mom most of the time, and I really appreciate the way she tries to make the shelter into a 'home' for her kids in the time they have to be there. While she's extremely gentle, she can be a 'mama tiger' for her family. She's also very perceptive, and voices a lot of the problems with our police force and homeless shelter system in a way that's understandable, yet not so that it sounds that Balliett is 'preaching' through her. However, while her depression at still being in the shelter later in the book is understandable, it was a bit irritating.

Early: What to say about Early? Early is an excellent MC, a soft-spoken 5th grader who just wants her family back the way it was. Her quiet determination helps her to solve the 'mystery', and in a way, bring her family back together, while she also begins helping others to send their dreams out into the world (Yes, more vagueness, but #spoilers!). She's one of my favorite MCs, especially since as the oldest, I can really relate to her feeling of being responsible for her family. 

Jubie: Jubie is hilarious! He is SUCH a four-year-old boy, and reminds me a lot of my brother Gandalf at that age. 

Romance

The only romance in this book is between Dashel and Summer, who are married, so there's no really 'romantic' content, although their marriage is beautiful. :)

Content

Kidnapping (not graphic); some violence; death threats; mention of swearing; mention of domestic violence; mention of teenage pregnancy; police violence (not graphic)

Overall 

This one definitely gets 4 stars! Although it actually might be too scary for some younger readers, it's one that I love rereading.

Have you read anything by Blue Balliett? Langston Hughes? How is the current American climate affecting you? What are some of your favorite books with Black people or People of Color as protagonists?