After seventh grader Amber's secretive older brother rescues her from a devastating house fire, the community's response proves that kindness is as complicated as family in this novel for younger YA readers.
There's nothing very special about Amber Price. She's not a star student, athlete or artist, and definitely not one of the popular kids. Her crush hardly knows she exists. At least, that's her life before. Before a fire destroys her home, before her older teenage brother Gage saves her life, before her classmates rally to stage a fundraiser, The Price of Kindness, for her family. Suddenly, Gage who was hurt in the fire is a famous hero and Amber is the center of attention at school. Everyone wants to help, everyone wants to be kind, everyone wants to tell her story.
As Amber enjoys her new popularity, she keeps her worries to herself. Her parents are arguing more than ever, and her father has moved into an apartment while the rest of them stay with Amber's aunt. And why, after he risked his life for her, is Gage keeping secrets from her? Then just days before her family will be honored in a special Price of Kindness presentation at school, she discovers how the fire started and faces huge moral question: Is it wrong to tell lies to save yourself and those you love?
The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe author Tricia Springstubb poignantly explores the way disasters impact family and community, painting a tender portrait of resilience and empathy in this young YA novel.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
April 3, 2025 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780823462209
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780823462209
- File size: 1591 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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February 1, 2025
A middle schooler survives a house fire but struggles in the aftermath. Amber Price loves her older brother, Gage, even though he's growing apart from her and keeps getting into trouble. Her dad's anger over Gage's behavior "is a rolling snowball" that affects the whole family, however. After a fire destroys their house, the stress amplifies the Prices' lack of unity; Amber's parents subsequently separate. The only silver lining is Gage, who rescued Amber from the fire. A middle school club hosts a fundraiser to help the family, focusing particularly on shy Gage's heroism. Amber, who feels "basically invisible," benefits socially from the attention. She also hopes that the fundraiser might bring her family back together, but she's shocked to make a terrible discovery that could cost her the respect of her classmates. In this third-person narrative, Amber's voice reads mature yet authentic for her age, the dialogue is natural-sounding, and the figurative language enhances the literary tone. The foreshadowing lessens the shock value of the big reveal, but the gradual unfolding of the truth works well in the story. Messages of care and empathy permeate the work even as Amber connects with other students whose struggles remain invisible to others: "Kindness is a gift...Everybody deserves it, no matter what." Most characters read white. A sincere and humane narrative that probes human complexity.(Fiction. 12-14)COPYRIGHT(2025) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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February 1, 2025
Grades 7-9 Seventh-grader Amber is saved from a house fire by her heroic older brother, Gage, who sustains an injury from the blaze. Her family loses everything and moves in with her aunt and uncle, whose house is already crowded with two sets of twins and sundry animals. Her dad, meanwhile, moves into a different house, as her parents continue to drift apart into possible separation. At the same time, Gage becomes the talk of the town, and a fundraiser for the family is started at school, raising thousands. The family is rebuilding until the actual start of the fire is revealed, and everything begins to fall apart. Again. Told in very short chapters, primarily from Amber's perspective, the family and friend relationships all read realistically, and clues to the unexpected twist are skillfully distributed throughout. In a way, the plot evokes the musical and subsequent YA novel Dear Evan Hansen. Late middle-school and early high-school readers will devour this quickly and, possibly, learn something about the value of telling the truth.COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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April 1, 2025
Gr 5-8-It seemed that seventh grader Amber's life was getting easier after her family moved into their own home, but then tragedy strikes in the form of a devastating fire that destroys everything they own. Amber's teenage brother, Gage, becomes a reluctant hero when it's revealed that he risked his life to save Amber from the fire, though this newfound fame quickly proves to be a double-edged sword. In no time, Amber becomes more popular, she gains a cute boy's attention, and her middle school peers rally to support the family through a large-scale fundraising initiative. However, the stress of the fire seems to tear her family apart; Amber, her mother, and little sister Clancy move in with Aunt Nor and her big, chaotic family, while Amber's father and Gage move to an apartment. Amber shows that she is resilient, supportive of her family, and cautious about her newfound popularity, but soon the shocking truth about the fire forces her to confront the challenge of balancing honesty with loyalty to those she loves. Amber and her friends are portrayed realistically as teens with typical cliques, social anxieties, and dynamics of middle school groups. Her family is well defined and instantly relatable. The theme that everyone deserves kindness is not heavy-handed but develops through the interactions of students, family, and teachers, reminding readers that everyone carries their own unseen struggles. VERDICT Engaging characters convey kindness, loyalty, and the price of honesty in this relatable portrayal of school and family life suitable for intermediate and middle school readers.-MaryAnn Karre
Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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