Holly Robinson's Reviews > The Book of Laney

This is an astonishing novel, meant for YA readers but a gripping read for adults, too. Myfanwy brings her poetic language, acute observational skills and astonishingly tender observations about why humans do what we do--the good, the bad, the ugly. Despite the shocking story about a hate crime that propels the novel forward, the young girl who emerges from the tragic act of her brother demonstrates as she grows just how it is possible to find beauty and wisdom even in the most hateful events. "Why am I different?" Laney asks toward the end of the novel, and it's a question that will resonate with every person, as will the main theme in the novel: we may believe that our families and our genes determine who we become, "but really there's something inside us that does that. Some collection of all that we know and all that we feel that molds us." Our stories need not end in tragedy, despite the horrific events that may happen during the course of a lifetime. We can always take what we've learned and begin again. This is a message that deserves to be delivered to young people, parents, teachers, therapists--to everyone, really--and Collins delivers that message in the most powerful, profound way possible: through an unforgettable story.