Joanna Ho is the New York Times bestselling author of Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, Eyes that Speak to the Stars, and Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma. She has been an English teacher, a dean, a professional development mastermind, and a high school vice principal. Her passion for equity in books and education is matched only by her love of homemade chocolate chip cookies, outdoor adventures, and dance parties with her kids. Visit her at www.joannahowrites.com.
Maybelline Chen isn't the Chinese Taiwanese American daughter her mother expects her to be. May prefers hoodies over dresses and wants to become a writer. When asked, her mom can't come up with one specific reason for why she's proud of her only daughter. May's beloved brother, Danny, on the other hand, has just been admitted to Princeton. But Danny secretly struggles with depression, and when he dies by suicide, May's world is shattered. In the aftermath, racist accusations are hurled against May's parents for putting too much "pressure" on him. May's father tells her to keep her head down. Instead, May challenges these ugly stereotypes through her writing. Yet the consequences of speaking out run much deeper than anyone could foresee. Who gets to tell our stories, and who gets silenced? It's up to May to take back the narrative. Joanna Ho masterfully explores timely themes of mental health, racism, and classism.
Joanna Ho has a lot going on in The Silence that Binds Us, and I'm sure I won't be able to touch on it all for this review. The best thing that Ho does within the novel is give young adults who read a framework for understanding the problems of racism, classism, and mental health. Ho also shows how the dialogue can get started between friends (as seen by May's and Tiya's difficult conversations) and between teens and their parents (as seen by May's relationship with her mom and dad). This is all done in a way that's respectful of what it's like to be a teenager. I love when I read YA where I sense that the author truly understands the challenges of growing up, and Ho handles that perfectly here, especially when diving into topics that are difficult to discuss with the people you love the most.
One of my favorite characters is Ms. Daniels, or Ms. D to her students. I enjoyed the scenes in her classroom the most, because she was the adult fostering space for her students to have a dialogue about what was happening in their community. While other adults wanted everything swept under the rug, Ms. D took May, Marc, Tiya, and others under her wing so they'd have a safe space to explore and learn from one another. Knowing that Joanna herself is a teacher, I appreciated the argument and representation here that more teachers should teach like this in order to create equitable and safe spaces. Ms. D also reminded me of some of my own English teachers, and I just love how, somehow, English teachers like these are a universal experience.
While most of the novel explores the racism that is exposed in May's community after the death of her brother, I don't want to forget that this book is also about grief and those who are left behind after a loved one's suicide. Danny's character is depicted with honesty and compassion, and May's grief is depicted likewise. Sometimes chapters and the timeline of the story felt disjointed, and I liked how that could be a reflection of May moving forward in a world without her brother. Her family's entire dynamic changes, and the chapter about Christmas was absolutely heartbreaking. Her relationships with her friends also evolves as May learns more and more about other people and their struggles with Danny's death or with other things, and I think all of that combines to a true coming-of-age story.
Have you read The Silence that Binds Us? It's definitely worth an add to your TBR, but don't forget to read with care.
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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