Author Amber McBride's latest book is an education on what it means to be a young Black person in our controversial society.
It is 2111 and Inmate Eleven, a twelve-year old girl, is learning what it means to be Blue in the Bible Boot of the United States. She lives in a small room with her pet wolf Ira. Most of the time she is alone. Her visitors are medical staff who take her blood for testing, and a woman who educates her on how to behave and about facts deemed important for Blues to know.
One day she meets Larkin, and her life broadens. She is given a larger room. She is taken to meet Congress and President Tuba. She is allowed to go outside for the first time. According to what she is learning, the United States went through a second Civil War in 2016 splitting the country in two. The Bible Boot governed by President Tuba uses Blues as slaves or in Inmate Eleven's case, as DNA matches for important Elites.
After meeting Inmate Eleven and seeing life in 2111, readers are transported back to 2022. Imogene, a twelve-year old, is adjusting to life after a pandemic. Her active imagination and fears created by isolation during the pandemic have her fighting to overcome trauma that almost paralyzes her. With the help of her mother and a new friend, Imogene begins to understand her place in the world as a young Black girl and how she can conquer the sadness she insists makes her "blue."
Amber McBride's unique style and voice come through this new story as she takes readers on an adventure that connects in sometimes frightening ways to our present and future. Definitely worth the read.
No comments:
Post a Comment