Review: A Tinfoil Sky by Cyndi Sand-Eveland

Publisher: Tundra
Release Date: January 10th, 2012
Number of Pages: 224
How I got this book: e-ARC from Netgalley
My rating: 5/5

Goodreads Summary:

"Mel and her mother, Cecily, know what it’s like to live rough, whether it’s on the streets or in the apartment of an abusive man.When Cecily announces that they’ve had enough and that they are going to go home to her mother’s, Mel dreams of security, a comfortable bed, and a grandmother’s love seem to be about to come true. But some mistakes cannot be easily forgiven or erased. Her grandmother is not what Mel expects, and though the local library offers sanctuary, a real home seems beyond her grasp. Mel’s determination to rise above what fate has dealt is about to change that.

Cyndi Sand-Eveland’s work with homeless youth gives her characters an authenticity no reader will forget. Ultimately, a story of hope and acceptance, A Tinfoil Sky is a powerful, can’t-putit- down novel."

Review:

First, a big thank you to Tundra and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book!

I honestly did not expect to be blown away by this book - maybe because of the rather unexciting cover (once again, we can't ALWAYS judge a book by its cover, can we?), but I was. I read this book practically all in one sitting!

The book starts with Cecily and 12 year-old Mel, a homeless mother and daughter, who are fleeing from Cecily's abusive boyfriend. Cecily is hoping to return "home" to her mother whom she hasn't had contact with in 9 years. However, her mother, Gladys, harbors a lot of resentment towards the daughter who stole from her, who led a life of drug and alcohol abuse and took her granddaughter from her 9 years ago. Gladys wants nothing to do with her, and so Cecily and Mel have no choice but to take to the streets. Sleeping in their car, singing on the street corner for spare change, and eating in the soup kitchen - this is their reality.

One day, Mel comes out of the soup kitchen from eating alone and Cecily is nowhere to be found. It turns out that Cecily has once again been caught shoplifitng and is sentenced to 30 days in jail. Mel has no choice but to move in with her grandmother, Gladys. She seems to be just a grumpy old woman who doesn't seem to have any interest in getting to know her. She feels all alone in the world.
My favorite part of the book was when the judge asks Mel if there is anything that she needs and she replies, thinking of the beautiful library she saw in town, "a library card!" I always have a special place in my heart for characters with a love for books and libraries. And Mel is one of these. For her, her local library is a magical place. When she steps into the library, it takes her into another world - one where all her dreams come true. She spends every day that summer at the library and befriends the librarian and the son of the librarian.

I could easily go on and on about this book...but I don't want to tell everything!! Every page was a delight! The characters were wonderful! I loved Mel! I'll admit that I was not a big fan of Gladys for awhile, because I wondered how she could hold a grudge against her granddaughter for something her mother did. It made me really sad for Mel. Then there was Cecily. She was just caught in a a circle of one bad decision after another. You could tell she really loved Mel...but unfortunately she just was not capable of caring for her properly. She was just messed up, and I felt bad for her, but I just wanted her to get help. The twist at the end...it had me biting my fingers...DEFINITELY A MUST READ!!!!!!!

This was truly an impressive read! I would say that kids as young as 10 can read it, however, it can easily hold the attention of a much older audience as well.