Emily Blejwas

Justin doesn't know anything these days. Like how to walk down the halls without getting stared at. Or what to say to Jenni. Or how Phuc is already a physics genius in seventh grade. Or why Benny H. wanders around Wicapi talking to old ghosts. He doesn't know why his mom suddenly loves church or if his older brother, Murphy, will ever play baseball again. Or if the North Stars have a shot at the playoffs. Justin doesn't know how people can act like everything's fine when it's so obviously not. And most of all, he doesn't know what really happened the night his dad died on the train tracks.… (més)

This quick read follows Justin in the period after his dad's death. It's sad at his house as his mom, older brother, and he are all grieving. Justin wants to know why and what happened when his dad was killed by the Christmas trolley. His dad, a Vietnam Veteran sounds like he was haunted by some of his experiences. It's the early 1990s in the story as Iraq invades Kuwait. The history project is conflict. Instead of a war, Justin focuses on local history - much to the dismay of his teacher.
Lessons of the book include waking up to the history all around us. With all the sadness and cold, it is ultimately a hopeful and healing book.
A quick, short, impactful read that is beautifully written with rich characters.… (més)

There is nothing I enjoy more than a book that makes you feel. Books are supposed to touch you, they are supposed to make you feel, whether it is happy or sad. Books are supposed to make you think, contemplate, or just question. Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened did just that.

Justin, a 7th grader, has had a tough life. As if being a 7th grader isn't hard enough, Justin's dad passed away. And Justin has a lot of questions about that. Justin's mom and brother are holding the family together, but things are hard. Money is tight and everyone is still grieving, and everyone is trying to move forward. But moving forward is hard when you feel like life has stopped. Justin is tired of people talking about him, being bullied, and not knowing how to talk to Jenni, a girl that he likes. Middle school is full of emotions, and Emily Blejwas touched every single one of them with this book. By the end of this book I had tears rolling down my face. Happy tears, sad tears and it felt like I was Justin. It takes an amazing writer to be able to grab you and make you feel like you are a part of the story.

As she writes in her Author note "Justin taught me that although life can be hard and confusing and crazy and sometimes just downright mean, there is always more to come. There will be another moment, and that one might be sweet and light and kind. He also reminded me that enchantment exists around us all the time, but it often hides in very small moments and is easy to miss if we're not paying close attention."

And this is what Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened has taught me. There was so many moments in this book that I read over and over again, just because it was that touching, that moving and that truthful! Do yourself a favor, pick up this book...read it, savor it. Don't be scared that this is about a middle school kid. This is a book for all ages, and everyone can learn from it.

Thank you is not enough... But thank you to Netgalley, Emily Blejwas and Random House Children's Publishing for the eARC of this book.… (més)