An Appetite for Miracles by Laekan Zea Kemp (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: An Appetite for Miracles by Laekan Zea Kemp Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Kemp, Laekan Zea An Appetite for Miracles. Little, 2023 [448p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780316461733 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780316461948 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 7-10 Unwilling to accept her beloved grandfather's descent into dementia, sixteen-year-old Danna believes if she can just perfect his favorite dishes from his globetrotting years, he will remember his life and Danna. Meanwhile, Raúl is also struggling to accept a new situation, as he tries to negotiate a relationship with his mom, who is back in his life after a two-year stint in prison. Danna and Raúl meet when he and his pastor uncle are asked to tend to Danna's grandfather, and the two teens fall head over heels for each other, a bright spot in the unhappy drama of their family lives. A good romance plot, though, is nothing without its challenges, and miscommunication, judgmental parents, and familiar teenage insecurities threaten to break their bond. Kemp's gorgeous verse is remarkable in its ability to capture both the unabashed euphoria of young love as well as the soul-crushing dealings with parents who are all too willing to project their trauma onto their kids. Text is arranged on the page according to who is narrating, with Danna's warm, intimate voice trailing on the left side while Raúl's more quiet reflections make up the right. The two leads are given thoughtful nuance, and Danna, in particular, is a fascinating yet entirely relatable girl who oscillates between deep feelings of self-doubt and even self-loathing (a direct result of her body-shaming mother) and a fake-ittil-you-make it kind of confidence that allows her to shamelessly flirt with Raúl. Fans of Quintero's Gabi: A Girl in Pieces (BCCB 1/15) will find similar themes to engage with here. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois