Olympia lives in SoHo New York in the 1980's. Her mom is an artist and her dad, an art conservator, and Olympia carries a sketch pad wherever she goes. One day her dad disappears, and her mom, who has struggled with depression in the past, goes to bed and refuses to get up. Olympia tries to go on, as if her life isn't falling apart at home, but as time goes on, her father doesn't return, and her mother doesn't rally, it becomes harder to maintain appearances. Her best friends Richard and Alex sense what is happening, but Olympia swears them to secrecy. The secret stretched their friendship to the breaking point until the three pre-teens don't know what to do or where to turn.
This is a book about both art, loyalty, and mental illness. Tucker does a good job of portraying the isolation and conflict of living with a person with severe depression. Olympia's reaction to her mother's withdrawl is believable and sympathetic. As an amature artist I was interested in the discussion of color, drawing and art history the character, Apollo shares. I also enjoyed the setting. SoHo in the 80's was just on the cusp of becoming the artistic center of Manhatten it is today. I don't see this book as having universal appeal, but it would be good to recommend to either young artists, or kids dealing with family members with mental illness at home. (320 p. 2019)
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