Speak of Me As I Am

February 15, 2017
Art helps two teenagers cope with unbearable sorrow in this novel of loss and self-discovery.After bumping into each other in the woods and then again in their D.C. high school, Damon, a black photographer, and Melanie, a white painter, find themselves drawn together by grief. Damon is haunted by the suicide of his best friend Carlos and his lingering doubt about how well he knew him, while Melanie feels lost after her mother--a talented artist--succumbs to cancer. Agreeing to participate in their school's production of Othello helps them forge a relationship and begin the journey toward healing. Parallels between the teens and their larger-than-life loved ones are clear, as Melanie fears she is not the painter her mother was, while Damon uses Carlos' camera to metaphorically freeze moments in time. Debut author Belasco adeptly captures the tribulations of high school life while also celebrating art's ability to help clarify and contextualize its joys and sorrows. The dual narration seamlessly transitions between the protagonists' reminiscences and the present, creating portraits of Carlos and Melanie's mother that are as richly detailed as those of the main characters. The novel's most intriguing character, however, is grief itself, which the author illuminates, examines, and dissects with a surgeon's precision and the gentle touch of an artist. A stirring account of the trials of adolescence. (Fiction. 12-18)

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February 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-How does one cope with loss? How can a person move on from the death of a mother? Or that of a best friend? These are the issues Melanie and Damon have to confront as they embark on another year of school. Damon's best friend, Carlos, committed suicide, so Damon's family moved to give Damon a fresh start at a new school. Melanie's mom passed away over the summer from cancer, and Melanie and her father have a hard time dealing with the giant hole in their lives. Hoping to keep his connection to Carlos alive, Damon takes pictures with Carlos's camera, while Melanie, who has been avoiding any kind of artistic urge since losing her mom, a larger-than-life artist, is convinced to help paint the sets for the school's play, Othello, in which Damon is playing the lead. Maybe together they can figure out how to live with loss and sadness, instead of trying to ignore it. Chapters that alternate between Damon's and Melanie's perspectives begin by addressing the teens' late loved ones. Readers will come away with a strong sense of not only the protagonists but also the secondary characters, including the departed. In a moving author's note, Belasco includes helpful links to a variety of supportive organizations whose missions link to the story's themes.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 When Melanie and Damon cross paths in a D.C. park, they are both preoccupied with loss. Damon has come to visit the site where he witnessed the last moments of his best friend's life, while Melanie breaks down thinking about her mother, who recently succumbed to cancer. They run into each other again at school and slowly begin to reveal layers of pain that they've buried. Belasco has crafted an intimate story of everyday heroismthe ability to weather the hardships of life and to overcome the despair that comes with death. This book will undoubtedly be compared to Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park (2013), both for the alternating POVs and for how, unlike many YA books, the characters' parents play active roles. Belasco also weaves in the school's production of Othellowhere the book borrows its titledeftly juxtaposing the fear that permeates that play with the hopefulness that Melanie and Damon find in each other. Teens seeking a quieter but no less moving story will find this book a perfect read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
Two teens grapple with profound loss: Damon's best friend committed suicide and Melanie's mother died from cancer. Through artistic endeavors--photography (Damon), painting (Melanie), and acting in a school production of Othello (both)--each forges a path through complex grief and a romantic relationship soon develops. Dual first-person narratives heighten emotional intimacy in this deft, sensitive exploration of loss and healing.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)