Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
So, I had no idea that this was a sequel but that didn't make the read any confusing. In fact, I quite liked this short book about a blind girl learning to get used to her disability and navigating puberty.
This is a bittersweet read filled with hope and love and every time I read a chapter, I was taken back to memories of my own childhood. Of course, life for me was quite different than it is for Mafalda but her problems were that of a girl growing up to that precarious age where everything is confusing and new (even more so for her) and I found that quite relatable.
I liked the characters quite a lot, all of them. Realistic and multidimensional, even though we got to spend such less time with them, they felt like actual people. Mafalda and Filippo, especially, were like actual kids coming to adolescence.
I also liked how the author had handled certain heavy topics and along with that, she presented to us a cast of characters that was quite inclusive. Apart from the mc suffering from a disability and learning to live with it, we also delve into topics such as dyslexia and how hard it is to recognise in kids, the loss of a long standing job and the all-encompassing depression it might bring along. I really loved the author's representation of all these very real situations in such a way.
Honestly, I don't have much to say about this small story except that it was a very sweet read and is definitely for when you want to read something not quite long and still feel all the emotions because the author does a great job at making her characters into real people and invoke our sympathy. Someday, I hope I'll get to read the prequel to this as well.
Bottom line: Bittersweet and mature.