Not Nothing

Alex, twelve, is having a rough time. His dad is not around, his mother has serious mental health issues, and Alex, who did something very bad, has been sent to live with an aunt and uncle who clearly don’t want him. To top it off, his social worker assigns Alex to “volunteer” at a senior living center, and he has to take orders from Maya-Jade, a bossy girl his age.

A stomach bug puts the center into lockdown, and Alex delivers meals to seniors in their rooms. One hundred seven-year-old Josey, a holocaust survivor, who hasn’t spoken in years, speaks to Alex. Thus begins an odd but life-changing friendship. Alex finds working with the seniors and with Maya-Jade is something he likes, but then his bad act comes knocking on his door.

Author Gayle Forman has written a real page-turner of a novel with a bit of history, mystery, and a lot of heart. The point of view is a little confusing at first, but that’s part of the mystery. The story belongs to two characters, and that’s unusual, but Forman weaves their stories tightly together into a marvelous tapestry. This deserves readership far beyond the targeted middle-grade readers. Don’t miss it.