5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful yet sensitive story of a young girl

P.E. · April 2, 2024

Thanks to the author & HarperCollins Children’s Books for a gifted copy. All comments and opinions are my own.I truly enjoyed this poignant, honest, and beautifully written story about a seventh grader who is an only child of a single mom in recovery. The story is told in the first person, which provides evocative realism as Kyra worries about her mom’s sobriety.In addition to worrying about her mom, Kyra has several issues she’s dealing with, so she reminds herself “It’s okay to dream and have hope.”Then she thinks: “But it’s hard to dream and have hope when your best friend has new best friends who don’t even know her, and your mom might be relapsing but you’re afraid to ask, and the one person you mostly want to talk to is the same one with all those new best friends.”The story focuses on the concerns of middle grade issues – popularity, friendships, clothing, body image, bullying, homework. Kyra is old enough to be home alone, but at the same time she still needs more supervision and reassurance than her mother provides. In fact, she realizes that she is often the one caring for her mother – preparing meals and grocery shopping, reminding her mom to charge her phone, waking her up in the mornings. On some level she knows this isn’t how her life should be, with her taking on so many adult responsibilities.I liked the way the author uses the cooking analogy to describe Kyra’s wish for order and predictability. When she cooks, she says “I clean up first. That’s how real chefs do it: they start with a clean kitchen and keep a tidy work area. Also, they lay out all the ingredients instead of taking them out as they go. You don’t want to find out halfway through a recipe you don’t have everything you need. I wish life could be like that. With a tidy system and a way to make sure you have what you need for any given situation and a clean area before and after.”Kyra’s voice stayed in my head both while reading the novel as well as after I finished. The author writes from personal experience, which gives the story authenticity and will resonate with its intended young audience as well as adults.I'm an enthusiastic fan of Sara Zarr and couldn't wait to read this book from the time I first heard about it. In the interest of full disclosure, I have known Sara since she was ten years old. I hope my five-star rating encourages you to read this powerful yet sensitive story of a young girl learning about herself, life, and family.

5.0 out of 5 stars Filled with Hope

S. · March 13, 2024

About ten years ago when I realized it was not only okay to read YA fiction (it’s just for kids! I’d heard) but that I enjoyed doing so, I discovered Sara Zarr. I binged on everything my library had: The Story of a Girl, The Lucy Variations, all of it. Each depicted a young woman struggling with or in a situation beyond her control, as most situations are when you’re a teenager. Enter thirteen year old Kyra of Zarr’s Kyra, Just for Today.Kyra attends meetings for children of alcoholics. She’s been proud of her mother’s many years of sobriety, especially when she remembers how it was and witnesses the issues the other kids in group have with their parents who are not sober. Her best friend, Lu, is part of the group and this has been one major thing that they’ve shared, a parent who is an alcoholic. However, as Kyra enters seventh grade suddenly things change. Lu befriends an eighth grader and becomes part of that friend group, leaving Kyra untethered friend-wise. And, worse, Kyra’s mother becomes irritable, misses work, comes home late, sleeps in late, is unreliable, which points to something Kyra doesn’t want to believe is true.Kyra, Just for Today is a middle grade novel that reads like a middle grade novel, which is perfect. I mention that in case some of you all might want to read it and then realize that it’s not written for adults.As I read, my heart broke for Kyra as this huge sense of aloneness and loneliness encompass her. She feels unable to deal with her mother’s situation, in part, because once you tell someone, it becomes true. I understood her need to smooth ruffled feathers, turn into herself, try to make the best of a bad situation.On a larger scale, I feel that this is an important novel for kids who have a parent suffering from addiction. It shows all of the tumult they experience, how they blame themselves even when there is nothing they could do to control the situation, and, most importantly, that there are groups out there that can help them navigate all of their feelings so they don’t feel like they are facing a situation alone. While it’s bad enough being an adult feeling like you’re facing a situation alone, it’s much worse when you’re a kid and don’t know who you can reach out to. Or whether you even should.What Kyra, Just for Today gives its readers is hope and that is so much.Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, emotional middle grade novel

D. · March 5, 2024

Another one I needed tissues for, but well worth the mascara running down my face. I absolutely loved this book. While I’ve never had a parent who was an alcoholic, it was still so easy to connect with Kyra and her story. I really enjoyed the scenes with the children of alcoholics group Kyra went to. For such a tough topic, it was handled with so much grace, but it didn’t shy away from the tough reality that so many families have to deal with. I loved how the book also highlighted the frustrations and anxieties of middle school, especially with female friendships. Kyra’s journey from a cautious people pleaser to standing up for herself and being vocal about her needs was certainly relatable for me. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book and think everyone should read it. It was a beautiful story. CW: alcoholism, anxiety, injury