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All the Greys on Greene Street
SoHo, 1981. Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist—and in her neighborhood, that's normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures in a corner of their loft, leaving Ollie to roam the streets of New York with her best friends Richard and Alex, drawing everything that catches her eye.
Then everything falls apart. Ollie's dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she's not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . .
Olympia knows her dad is the key--but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.
Then everything falls apart. Ollie's dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she's not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . .
Olympia knows her dad is the key--but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
April 30, 2022
So after being quite literally and majorly stuck on page 96 of Laura Tucker's 2019 Middle Grade novel All the Greys on Greene Street for more than a week now (and also wondering why the art and artist themes promised in the Goodreads synopsis have not yet really and fully materialised yet except for what I would personally call rather on the surface background noise), I have finally and with no feelings of guilt or contrition decided to consider another did not finish or rather a will not be finishing reading result here. Because even though the themes and the contents of All the Greys on Greene Street certainly seem interesting enough in and of themselves (and that I actually also rather enjoyed the start of All the Greys on Greene Street), at around page 15 or so, the pacing of author Laura Tucker's writing was starting to become increasingly, massively dragging and tedious, so that yes indeed, by page 96, Tucker's text had slowed to such a monotonous snail's pace for me that I simply became quite massively bored and decided to stop reading All the Greys on Greene Street (especially since at over 300 pages, a slow and tedious reading pace like I was experiencing really would definitely not make for an enjoyable and engaging experience and time for me).
And combined with the fact that by chapter 18 of Laura Tucker's narrative, we really only have found out that first person narrator Olympia's mother is depressed, that her father has taken off to France (but with as yet no real reason as to why and basically in my opinion with often pages upon pages of irrelevant and not all that interesting filler being cast at readers), after repeatedly not being able to convince myself to pick All the Greys on Greene Street up again to continue my perusal, I do find that it is certainly in my own best interest and to avoid further frustration to simply quit and to say that no indeed, I have not found this novel in any way all that enjoyable, that Laura Tucker obviously (and in my humble opinion) very much needs to work on her rhythm, on her writing style and how much superfluous information she drops onto her readers, and yes, if she, if Laura Tucker is using a protagonist narrating his or her own story, that said characte needs to feel and read age appropriately. For from where I am standing, Olympia absolutely does not sound like a believable and relatable twelve year old, but rather more like a seventeen to nineteen year old, which makes my annoyances with the problematic pacing of All the Greys on Green Street even more of an issue and has as such also much influenced my decision to abandon this novel and to look for something else and less tedious, less frustrating to read.
And combined with the fact that by chapter 18 of Laura Tucker's narrative, we really only have found out that first person narrator Olympia's mother is depressed, that her father has taken off to France (but with as yet no real reason as to why and basically in my opinion with often pages upon pages of irrelevant and not all that interesting filler being cast at readers), after repeatedly not being able to convince myself to pick All the Greys on Greene Street up again to continue my perusal, I do find that it is certainly in my own best interest and to avoid further frustration to simply quit and to say that no indeed, I have not found this novel in any way all that enjoyable, that Laura Tucker obviously (and in my humble opinion) very much needs to work on her rhythm, on her writing style and how much superfluous information she drops onto her readers, and yes, if she, if Laura Tucker is using a protagonist narrating his or her own story, that said characte needs to feel and read age appropriately. For from where I am standing, Olympia absolutely does not sound like a believable and relatable twelve year old, but rather more like a seventeen to nineteen year old, which makes my annoyances with the problematic pacing of All the Greys on Green Street even more of an issue and has as such also much influenced my decision to abandon this novel and to look for something else and less tedious, less frustrating to read.
May 30, 2019
3.5 solid stars!
12-year-old Olympia is an artist living in SoHo in 1981, which isn’t all that uncommon in her neighborhood. Her father and his friend Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother sees the beauty in everything and makes intricate sculptures out of everyday ordinary items. But one morning she wakes up and her father has left the country, leaving her and her mom alone and now her mom won’t get out of bed. The only thing he left behind was a cryptic note that he asked for it to be destroyed. Apollo is acting strange and someone keeps calling for missing artwork.
This was a quiet, well-written book that circles around family, friendship, art, and mystery. It touches on the subject of depression and what it means living with a parent who suffers from depression. It was easy to forget at times that Olympia was only 12-year-old girl that did not know how to deal with her mother unable to get out of bed and some of the scenes tugged on my heartstrings for the little girl that held out hope. But it was nice to see that when she finally let them, Olympia did have a great support network behind her back that ended up being there for when she needed them most. I liked that it revolved around art and there was even a bit of a mystery thrown into the mix.
Laura Tucker’s writing overall is quiet and beautiful. Tucker really knows how to flesh out her characters and make them appear human. I found myself sympathizing with her.
That being said, however, I struggled with the pacing of the book. I felt like the story started out and ended strong, but it meandered a bit in the middle. It could have been a bit shorter. The subject matter for middle grade was a little hard, but depression can hit an adult any point in child life, even if it is something hard to read. I also do wish the time period was used a bit more in the writing. The story is definitely very character and art driven, but it was set in 1981 in SoHo and I found the time and setting interesting choice.
Overall. I thought this was a lovely written debut that makes me extremely excited for future works from this author. It touched on tough subjects, but very important ones. I thought in general, the author handled it really well and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
12-year-old Olympia is an artist living in SoHo in 1981, which isn’t all that uncommon in her neighborhood. Her father and his friend Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother sees the beauty in everything and makes intricate sculptures out of everyday ordinary items. But one morning she wakes up and her father has left the country, leaving her and her mom alone and now her mom won’t get out of bed. The only thing he left behind was a cryptic note that he asked for it to be destroyed. Apollo is acting strange and someone keeps calling for missing artwork.
This was a quiet, well-written book that circles around family, friendship, art, and mystery. It touches on the subject of depression and what it means living with a parent who suffers from depression. It was easy to forget at times that Olympia was only 12-year-old girl that did not know how to deal with her mother unable to get out of bed and some of the scenes tugged on my heartstrings for the little girl that held out hope. But it was nice to see that when she finally let them, Olympia did have a great support network behind her back that ended up being there for when she needed them most. I liked that it revolved around art and there was even a bit of a mystery thrown into the mix.
Laura Tucker’s writing overall is quiet and beautiful. Tucker really knows how to flesh out her characters and make them appear human. I found myself sympathizing with her.
That being said, however, I struggled with the pacing of the book. I felt like the story started out and ended strong, but it meandered a bit in the middle. It could have been a bit shorter. The subject matter for middle grade was a little hard, but depression can hit an adult any point in child life, even if it is something hard to read. I also do wish the time period was used a bit more in the writing. The story is definitely very character and art driven, but it was set in 1981 in SoHo and I found the time and setting interesting choice.
Overall. I thought this was a lovely written debut that makes me extremely excited for future works from this author. It touched on tough subjects, but very important ones. I thought in general, the author handled it really well and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
July 24, 2019
This book was wonderful. The author dealt beautifully with depression, specifically with the depressed mother (a mixed media sculptor) of main character Olympia (Ollie). Ollie feels she can't tell anyone else, not even her two best friends Alex and Richard, that her mother hasn't gotten out of bed in days. This isn't her mother's first bout of depression, and she was adamant that if it happened again she didn't want to end up in the hospital. Also, Ollie's father has taken off to France for some unknown purpose (he's an art restorer), and Ollie is afraid that she'll have nowhere to go if her mother ends up in the hospital. Ollie tries to be a grown up and deal with her mother all on her own, and is afraid to reach out to anyone for help.
I went into this story knowing very little about it, and was glad afterwards that I'd read it. Depression was never discussed when I was growing up; in fact, it was seen as shameful. So a book like this would have been helpful then for understanding a little about depression.
The characterizations of Ollie and her friends, and their friendship, were believable, and her desperation to fix everything all by herself felt real. I also really enjoyed seeing the world as Ollie did; she's a budding artist, and I liked how the author described Ollie's attention to details and her enthusiasm for drawing everything around her. And, huge plus, Ollie likes cats.
I went into this story knowing very little about it, and was glad afterwards that I'd read it. Depression was never discussed when I was growing up; in fact, it was seen as shameful. So a book like this would have been helpful then for understanding a little about depression.
The characterizations of Ollie and her friends, and their friendship, were believable, and her desperation to fix everything all by herself felt real. I also really enjoyed seeing the world as Ollie did; she's a budding artist, and I liked how the author described Ollie's attention to details and her enthusiasm for drawing everything around her. And, huge plus, Ollie likes cats.
December 17, 2020
I found this painfully slow. The main character's father runs off to France before the novel begins--and then nothing really happens for a good, long while. The book is about a child in a fairly desperate situation but there is little urgency to the narrative. I also didn't think that Olympia made a convincing 12-year-old, and I got tired of all her description. I think the middle grade readers this is really directed to will have a very hard time sticking with it.
January 1, 2019
You know what? Biting the bullet. Five stars. This is a book written by an AUTHOR. Laura Tucker is someone who knows how to WRITE: to create characters, scenarios, settings, dialogue that all are from-the-gut authentic. Her words are phenomenal. Descriptions: evocative; tangible. The characters are jump-off-the-page REAL. Maybe we've seen a few too many mom-depressed-in-bed books lately, but I'm sorry, I'm going to keep reading them to remember how much my depression affects the people around me: to see beyond myself and keep trying to heal. Ollie is real. Richard is real. Alex is real. Apollo is real, and I want to live in their fire-escape, playground, cavorting-around-SoHo-world right there with them. Take me out for Zombie Chinese. I want to see the Terrorpole and Alex's "pet ledge." I stepped into their world for 307 pages, and I want to live with them longer. Lush, descriptive, big-hearted, REAL.
January 29, 2022
Very mixed reviews... and of course, me being me, I feel compelled to read & judge for myself.
---
Ok, 2/3 through, I have mixed feelings. Some bits I love, like the details of the setting, and the other kids and their families.
But I cannot stand that Ollie doesn't ask anyone the right question. Her dad made it clear he doesn't want to be found... but if our girl feels the need to know something, why doesn't she ask, instead of "have you heard from him, do you know how to get in touch with him," "Why did he leave?" It seems possible by now that's she's figured that bit out now, and of course it's possible nobody would have told her... but even if the adults had not told her that would have been a big clue.
Ah, but then there's the conversation about the point of a mystery not being to solve it, but rather for the hero to learn what really matters, and to learn about him or herself.
Of course I have had, since the minor mystery of Apollo's lost love was presented, a strong conviction of who that love is. I hope I'm wrong.
This review is likely to remain about as messy as the book, imo, is.
---
Yeah, done. I cannot organize my thoughts... and I am not surprised because this book had so many ideas, and such a chaotic way of developing them, at least as far as I could decode, that to me it read as disjointed and surreal, but unintentionally so, I think.
The climax and resolution don't exactly work for me. I guess it was placed in 1981 because 'in the old days' the adults wouldn't have to face the consequences for their abusive neglect?
Whatever. Let that go. It's fine. It's a story.
Ok, what about the theme about exploitation? Would a tween in 1981 really be able to think about things like: "Why was it better for a museum to steal those things the grave robbers who'd come to take his gold? Because of the fancy glass case and the information card?" Important theme, and perhaps initial impetus for the book... but doesn't read true to me.
I loved learning about a cat's purr meaning 'don't leave me' in situations of illness or fear, not just happiness. And presenting a fist, because it's shaped like a cat's head, to start to make friends. And the slow blink of trust.
And much of the writing is lovely and/or wise and/or fun. "This is why it's hard to be a curious person. I wanted to scuff my feet, ignoring everything like a furious teenage on TV, but I couldn't stop myself from looking around."
I can't let go the mom's depression though. She's been to hospital for it before, and she didn't have a plan for Ollie's care if she succumbed to it again? I suffer depression, not so bad but still clinical, and I would never let my child be so uncared for.
I loved learning about the artists' mindsets. I didn't save the quote, but there's a question about what to do when a person who Needs to create doesn't Want to. And there's due diligence about how hard it is do good art, taking hours for some sketches, going through lots of paper, some mediums taking even longer to master, etc.
Anyway, do I recommend it? Ah, I don't know. Honestly, even those of you I feel like I know best, I just don't know if you'd like this. I know my review is too long, but I have to assign you to read other peoples reviews before deciding to pick this up. I don't even know if I gave it a rating I believe in.
---
Ok, 2/3 through, I have mixed feelings. Some bits I love, like the details of the setting, and the other kids and their families.
But I cannot stand that Ollie doesn't ask anyone the right question. Her dad made it clear he doesn't want to be found... but if our girl feels the need to know something, why doesn't she ask, instead of "have you heard from him, do you know how to get in touch with him," "Why did he leave?" It seems possible by now that's she's figured that bit out now, and of course it's possible nobody would have told her... but even if the adults had not told her that would have been a big clue.
Ah, but then there's the conversation about the point of a mystery not being to solve it, but rather for the hero to learn what really matters, and to learn about him or herself.
Of course I have had, since the minor mystery of Apollo's lost love was presented, a strong conviction of who that love is. I hope I'm wrong.
This review is likely to remain about as messy as the book, imo, is.
---
Yeah, done. I cannot organize my thoughts... and I am not surprised because this book had so many ideas, and such a chaotic way of developing them, at least as far as I could decode, that to me it read as disjointed and surreal, but unintentionally so, I think.
The climax and resolution don't exactly work for me. I guess it was placed in 1981 because 'in the old days' the adults wouldn't have to face the consequences for their abusive neglect?
Whatever. Let that go. It's fine. It's a story.
Ok, what about the theme about exploitation? Would a tween in 1981 really be able to think about things like: "Why was it better for a museum to steal those things the grave robbers who'd come to take his gold? Because of the fancy glass case and the information card?" Important theme, and perhaps initial impetus for the book... but doesn't read true to me.
I loved learning about a cat's purr meaning 'don't leave me' in situations of illness or fear, not just happiness. And presenting a fist, because it's shaped like a cat's head, to start to make friends. And the slow blink of trust.
And much of the writing is lovely and/or wise and/or fun. "This is why it's hard to be a curious person. I wanted to scuff my feet, ignoring everything like a furious teenage on TV, but I couldn't stop myself from looking around."
I can't let go the mom's depression though. She's been to hospital for it before, and she didn't have a plan for Ollie's care if she succumbed to it again? I suffer depression, not so bad but still clinical, and I would never let my child be so uncared for.
I loved learning about the artists' mindsets. I didn't save the quote, but there's a question about what to do when a person who Needs to create doesn't Want to. And there's due diligence about how hard it is do good art, taking hours for some sketches, going through lots of paper, some mediums taking even longer to master, etc.
Anyway, do I recommend it? Ah, I don't know. Honestly, even those of you I feel like I know best, I just don't know if you'd like this. I know my review is too long, but I have to assign you to read other peoples reviews before deciding to pick this up. I don't even know if I gave it a rating I believe in.
October 17, 2020
If you're expecting a mystery (it was a 2020 Edgar Award Nominee), you may be disappointed. For me, this read more like a Newbery Honor or National Book Award Finalist. Set during the art scene of the early 1980s in New York City; twelve year-old Olympia (aka Ollie) has problems that are too big for her to deal with on her own. Her Mom will not get out of bed and Dad has disappeared to France; both have asked her not to tell anyone. What do you do when your own parents swear you to secrecy? Twelve is too young to be on your own. Thankfully, Ollie has a supportive network made up of her friends Alex and Richard, their families, and Apollo her father's business partner who has a few secrets of his own.
For those who love character driven stories (Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt or her other books in the Tillerman Cycle, Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins or Far from the Tree by Robin Benway), this is it.
For those who love character driven stories (Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt or her other books in the Tillerman Cycle, Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins or Far from the Tree by Robin Benway), this is it.
September 9, 2019
In style and pace, not a kid’s book but a grownup book with a kid protagonist. Just a few days ago, I finished another book with a mom who wouldn’t get out of bed (The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins). That ends up being what this book is about, but it takes a very long time for that to become clear. (The subplot with The Head turns out to be a real distraction.) It took me almost 200 pages to get into the groove of reading this, but it took me a long time to get into other books I’ve read lately too (A Place to Belong, Other Words for Home) so maybe it’s me?
October 25, 2019
There were nuggets of brilliance in this book, but reading it felt like hard work. So many times I found I had to reread in order to understand the nuances of the situation at hand. I did think the issue of mental illness was dealt with in an honest and forthright way. Olly behaved as you would expect a 12-year-old to in the circumstances she found herself in. Her friendship with Alex and Richard was precious and one of my favorite aspects of the book. I also really enjoyed Apollo and his relationship with Olly. What I did not love was the dissolution of the marriage of Olly's parents in the midst of the mental illness crisis. Yes, I know the whole art mystery was pivotal; I really wanted the parents to reunite and show Olly that healing process firsthand.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2020
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Olympia's (AKA Ollie) mother won't get out of bed since her father left New York City for France a few weeks ago. Ollie thinks that her dad left to be with another woman, but when a man comes to Ollie's father's art restoration studio inquiring about a missing statue (that Ollie knows was at one time in her father's possession), she starts to think something else might be afoot.
Tucker's debut novel has a lot of good qualities. I liked the compassionate treatment of depression and how depression in parents can affect their children; I liked the mystery of Ollie's father's whereabouts; I liked the focus on art and how it's therapeutic for Ollie; and I liked that the cast included a number of adults that serve as a support system for Ollie. Unfortunately, I didn't LOVE any of these elements which kept it from being a great read for me. I can't put my finger on exactly what was lacking, but I did find the pacing a bit off - there's quite the drag in the middle before the mystery of Ollie's father picks up steam.
Still, I'm far from mad that I read it and the audiobook production was well done. Recommended.
Olympia's (AKA Ollie) mother won't get out of bed since her father left New York City for France a few weeks ago. Ollie thinks that her dad left to be with another woman, but when a man comes to Ollie's father's art restoration studio inquiring about a missing statue (that Ollie knows was at one time in her father's possession), she starts to think something else might be afoot.
Tucker's debut novel has a lot of good qualities. I liked the compassionate treatment of depression and how depression in parents can affect their children; I liked the mystery of Ollie's father's whereabouts; I liked the focus on art and how it's therapeutic for Ollie; and I liked that the cast included a number of adults that serve as a support system for Ollie. Unfortunately, I didn't LOVE any of these elements which kept it from being a great read for me. I can't put my finger on exactly what was lacking, but I did find the pacing a bit off - there's quite the drag in the middle before the mystery of Ollie's father picks up steam.
Still, I'm far from mad that I read it and the audiobook production was well done. Recommended.
May 14, 2024
Words cannot properly describe how beautiful and sad and amazing this book was. The descriptions, the way it talks about art, the memorable characters.
Depression is not romanticized but it isn’t condemned either. It is spoken of as it truly is, an illness. As someone who has struggled with depression for eleven years I really appreciated that.
The writing was so beautiful I wanted to keep reading it forever. This story really felt like a love story to art.
The story and characters captured my heart and the chapters on the island reminded me of my own childhood on vacation at a remote cabin by the beach.
This book is definitely one of my top ten favorite middle grades. I highly recommend it.
Depression is not romanticized but it isn’t condemned either. It is spoken of as it truly is, an illness. As someone who has struggled with depression for eleven years I really appreciated that.
The writing was so beautiful I wanted to keep reading it forever. This story really felt like a love story to art.
The story and characters captured my heart and the chapters on the island reminded me of my own childhood on vacation at a remote cabin by the beach.
This book is definitely one of my top ten favorite middle grades. I highly recommend it.
June 17, 2020
Tender story of friendships, dealing with a parent with depression, a little mystery, a lot of beautiful art and amazing New York City. I loved Olympia, her talents and strengths, her vulnerability and curiosity and how in the end we all need people to help us.
March 9, 2022
This book is an important book.
Whether you are a child whose parent struggles with depression, or an adult whose childhood placed heavy burdens on your shoulders, this book ministers to both those places. Laura Tucker weaves mental illness and suffering together with healing, art, and childhood exploration in a deeply cathartic experience. I teared up many times.
Like Olympia and her mother, I have known what it is like not to be able to get out of bed, to eat the wrong things, to go to bed with the television, to have a self-soothing unhealthy coping mechanism, to look at a trashed room and try to make sense of it. While this book is honest, it is also gentle and hopeful and kind.
All the Greys on Greene Street pictures some of the most helpful things that people with depression or caregivers of depression need: stable adult care; silent, faithful companionship; someone else making food or dropping off groceries; sunshine and the sea; someone to help shoulder the weight of making decisions.
This book strikes so many right notes: Olympia's hesitancy to explain what's going on to outsiders.
Her friend Apollo telling Olympia that both the good and bad pressures of life caused her mother's depressive episode. Olympia noting that she will not be able to get help from her friend's mom because the mom "didn't really do things outside the rules, which was both the good and the bad thing about [her]." (In this telling moment in the story, this mom feels regret that she didn't do more when she first noticed something was wrong. Unfortunately, such hesitant concern becomes an engrained pattern; she will probably do the same thing with the next sufferer she meets.)
One of the most difficult things about dealing with brokenness as a child (or a young adult) is adult hesitancy to step in and take effective action. One of the most painfully cathartic moments in the story is Olympia's panicked sense of betrayal as adults start noticing and helping. Her world crumbles to pieces, but she now has a sense of security and stability that she needed all along.
Let me hasten to add that along with suffering, this book is full of color--of art, growth, kind teachers, budding friendships, healthy childhood experiences, and love. Olympia gets glimpses into functional homes, and we get them with her.
The author's note in the back is as precious and important as the book itself. In it, she tells children reading it that depression is not their parents' fault, and it is not their own fault. She gives them ideas about who to talk to and tells children it is better to talk and get help than to stay quiet. Unfortunately, depression often leads to self-isolation on the parents' part, which causes the child's world to become isolated from adults they can reach out to for help. As adults, it's helpful to keep an eye out for these potential scenarios in our churches, schools, and communities.
Read, cry, love this story. It is beautiful. It is important.
Whether you are a child whose parent struggles with depression, or an adult whose childhood placed heavy burdens on your shoulders, this book ministers to both those places. Laura Tucker weaves mental illness and suffering together with healing, art, and childhood exploration in a deeply cathartic experience. I teared up many times.
Like Olympia and her mother, I have known what it is like not to be able to get out of bed, to eat the wrong things, to go to bed with the television, to have a self-soothing unhealthy coping mechanism, to look at a trashed room and try to make sense of it. While this book is honest, it is also gentle and hopeful and kind.
All the Greys on Greene Street pictures some of the most helpful things that people with depression or caregivers of depression need: stable adult care; silent, faithful companionship; someone else making food or dropping off groceries; sunshine and the sea; someone to help shoulder the weight of making decisions.
This book strikes so many right notes: Olympia's hesitancy to explain what's going on to outsiders.
Her friend Apollo telling Olympia that both the good and bad pressures of life caused her mother's depressive episode. Olympia noting that she will not be able to get help from her friend's mom because the mom "didn't really do things outside the rules, which was both the good and the bad thing about [her]." (In this telling moment in the story, this mom feels regret that she didn't do more when she first noticed something was wrong. Unfortunately, such hesitant concern becomes an engrained pattern; she will probably do the same thing with the next sufferer she meets.)
One of the most difficult things about dealing with brokenness as a child (or a young adult) is adult hesitancy to step in and take effective action. One of the most painfully cathartic moments in the story is Olympia's panicked sense of betrayal as adults start noticing and helping. Her world crumbles to pieces, but she now has a sense of security and stability that she needed all along.
Let me hasten to add that along with suffering, this book is full of color--of art, growth, kind teachers, budding friendships, healthy childhood experiences, and love. Olympia gets glimpses into functional homes, and we get them with her.
The author's note in the back is as precious and important as the book itself. In it, she tells children reading it that depression is not their parents' fault, and it is not their own fault. She gives them ideas about who to talk to and tells children it is better to talk and get help than to stay quiet. Unfortunately, depression often leads to self-isolation on the parents' part, which causes the child's world to become isolated from adults they can reach out to for help. As adults, it's helpful to keep an eye out for these potential scenarios in our churches, schools, and communities.
Read, cry, love this story. It is beautiful. It is important.
April 15, 2021
I liked this SO much more than I expected to. Something about Olympia's voice and this storyline just really resonated with me. I know that I never would have picked it up if it hadn't been on the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice list, but I'm so glad it was because it was such a pleasant surprise.
January 9, 2020
4.25 stars | Stunning debut.
January 12, 2019
A sensitive portrait of a young girl struggling with her place in the world after her father runs off to France for mysterious reasons and her mother retreats to her bedroom and will not come out. Ollie has great friends and adults in her life, but she goes out of her way to ensure they don't realize how dire the situation is at home with her mother, clearly suffering from depression. NYC in the 1980s is just as vibrant a character as Ollie's friends and neighbours. A great middle grade read for fans of Rebecca Stead, Susin Nielsen, or Kate DiCamillo.
February 17, 2021
This book hit all kinds of nostalgia buttons from me. Olympia is a sixth grader in 1981, just as I was. Tab, the IRA, walkman, pay phones, and the Three Investigators all invoked nostalgia. And while I was most definitely not living in an artists' warehouse in NYC, I was reading a bunch of books about kids who were, so there was a whole other layer of nostalgia. The summer island of The Long Secret (Harriet the Spy's companion novel), the street savvy NY natives of From the Mixed-Up Files--fire escapes and walk-ups, doormen and museums, it was all so exotic to me then and remains so even today. Even some of the emotionally charged events resonated with me. My mom had a near-fatal stroke when I was 16, and while she was recovering my best friend's family took me on a ski trip, and the section that takes place on "the island" reminded me so strongly of that.
So that's the personal baggage I carried into the story, but it's a great story even without that. Olympia is bright, sardonic and self aware, a fully realized artist who is unruffled by adult behavior. She was named, she explains, after a famous French painting. "The painting caused a tremendous scandal in 1865, when it was first shown," she tells us. "Not because Olympia is nude, but because of the way she's looking straight back at the viewer. I guess nudes weren't supposed to look back."
She is also still a kid, and she makes kid choices, and gets in way over her head. She is well loved, despite being essentially abandoned. There was a horrible few pages where I thought she was going to lose one or more loved ones to a fire after her anger had created an unsafe situation, but it didn't go there.
I honestly don't know if "kids today" will like this, because I can't get out of my own head enough to see. I just know I loved it.
So that's the personal baggage I carried into the story, but it's a great story even without that. Olympia is bright, sardonic and self aware, a fully realized artist who is unruffled by adult behavior. She was named, she explains, after a famous French painting. "The painting caused a tremendous scandal in 1865, when it was first shown," she tells us. "Not because Olympia is nude, but because of the way she's looking straight back at the viewer. I guess nudes weren't supposed to look back."
She is also still a kid, and she makes kid choices, and gets in way over her head. She is well loved, despite being essentially abandoned. There was a horrible few pages where I thought she was going to lose one or more loved ones to a fire after her anger had created an unsafe situation, but it didn't go there.
I honestly don't know if "kids today" will like this, because I can't get out of my own head enough to see. I just know I loved it.
March 12, 2021
4.5⭐️ This is the kind of book that sneaks up on you. A quiet read that as you are reading, you might not expect to linger, but with so many layers that you find yourself realizing days after finishing that it had such a reality about it. The kind of book where you wonder, “What’s that character doing now?”
I suppose what I mean is this is a complex book by a talented writer. It would be difficult to sell to a kid in an elevator style pitch because it is all about the subtleties, and you wouldn’t want to overemphasize the mystery aspect because that would create the wrong expectations.
This is a book about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, navigating scary times, and perhaps most of all, about art as a way to process, communicate, and heal.
There are great friendships, many moments of humour, and some truly fine prose. Rebecca Stead blurbed it and I can see why. This book belongs in the hands of readers who love Stead’s stories. I hope for more from this author.
CW: parental depression, house fire
I suppose what I mean is this is a complex book by a talented writer. It would be difficult to sell to a kid in an elevator style pitch because it is all about the subtleties, and you wouldn’t want to overemphasize the mystery aspect because that would create the wrong expectations.
This is a book about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, navigating scary times, and perhaps most of all, about art as a way to process, communicate, and heal.
There are great friendships, many moments of humour, and some truly fine prose. Rebecca Stead blurbed it and I can see why. This book belongs in the hands of readers who love Stead’s stories. I hope for more from this author.
CW: parental depression, house fire
July 9, 2019
There are more books being written for a middle grade audience revolving around mental illness. This is one. This one interestingly takes place in 1981 in SoHo, New York City. I found the setting especially interesting since I knew little about SoHo in the 1980s. That Olympia and her family lived in a large, open room in an old factory was fascinating to me. The details about art and the creation of it were new to me as well. The details about how different paint colors are made was especially fascinating to me. However, the story is not a particularly happy one, which I didn't enjoy so much.
Olympia finds herself in a pickle. Her father has run off with his girlfriend to return a piece of art that doesn't belong to him (he stole it), leaving her and her depressed mother in the lurch. With her mother unable to get out of bed, Olympia is left to take care of herself. And she doesn't want to tell anyone because it feels like betraying her family. But finally she tells one of her friends. Eventually, her friend, Alex tells her father's business partner, Apollo, about her mother. Olympia feels betrayed, even though she knows that her mother needs help. Spending some time with Alex and his family on vacation helps her deal with some of her feelings. But an additional tragedy leaves her reeling once again, wondering what's going to happen to her.
The story is very well written and plotted, the characters are appealing and interesting in their differences. Young readers who enjoy thoughtful, issue stories will likely enjoy this one. It does have a hopeful ending despite the ongoing challenges in Olympia's life. I picked up the book because it was billed as a bit of a mystery, but it isn't really. The mystery of Olympia's father's disappearance is fairly easy to figure out fairly early in the story (at least for me). The main story line focuses on Olympia and her mother's condition. A thoughtful, historical story revolving around the challenges that come with mental illness and the power of having an outlet for one's fears.
Olympia finds herself in a pickle. Her father has run off with his girlfriend to return a piece of art that doesn't belong to him (he stole it), leaving her and her depressed mother in the lurch. With her mother unable to get out of bed, Olympia is left to take care of herself. And she doesn't want to tell anyone because it feels like betraying her family. But finally she tells one of her friends. Eventually, her friend, Alex tells her father's business partner, Apollo, about her mother. Olympia feels betrayed, even though she knows that her mother needs help. Spending some time with Alex and his family on vacation helps her deal with some of her feelings. But an additional tragedy leaves her reeling once again, wondering what's going to happen to her.
The story is very well written and plotted, the characters are appealing and interesting in their differences. Young readers who enjoy thoughtful, issue stories will likely enjoy this one. It does have a hopeful ending despite the ongoing challenges in Olympia's life. I picked up the book because it was billed as a bit of a mystery, but it isn't really. The mystery of Olympia's father's disappearance is fairly easy to figure out fairly early in the story (at least for me). The main story line focuses on Olympia and her mother's condition. A thoughtful, historical story revolving around the challenges that come with mental illness and the power of having an outlet for one's fears.
April 23, 2019
A cat loving artist protagonist and a compelling plot. The voice rings clear and true. In Olympia, a young artist’s eye, heart, and soul are well captured.
January 1, 2020
This was my favorite middle grade novel of 2019. It's exceptionally well done and compelling and I enjoyed it immensely.
July 20, 2022
4.5 rounded up to 5
Read
May 16, 2019While Ollie sticks to graphite grey in her drawings, Tucker's debut vibrates with vivid color in its strong sense of place and well-sketched characters. It has that timeless quintessence that evokes such New York City adventures as Harriet the Spy and The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler, and it is sure to delight fans of Rebecca Stead and Laura Marx.
August 16, 2019
"You cannot rescue somebody, little bird. You can help them. But they must rescue themselves."
This was way better than I was anticipating. I listened to the audio initially, but also picked up the hardcover to check out the illustrations sprinkled throughout the novel. They're gorgeous.
This was way better than I was anticipating. I listened to the audio initially, but also picked up the hardcover to check out the illustrations sprinkled throughout the novel. They're gorgeous.
February 11, 2021
Beware spoilers below.
First of all I do not like the writing style, the pacing is weird. I didn’t feel like the writing really made me care about the characters.
The main character is ridiculously annoying and often makes unwise decisions. I also don’t think that her character is always the most believable. For example when her dad is gone in France hanging out with some lady, and her mom is with Apollo and she doesn’t seem to care. Ripping down the artist in residence sign too just because you’re angry is super dangerous. She also really should have told someone about her mom. Also Apollo’s “lost love” being her mom was completely predictable. How exactly did it take her so long to figure that out?
Richard and Alex’s characters also kind of fell flat to me. If seems like Alex is just the active dude who never stops moving without any development, and Richard only cares about monsters.
First of all I do not like the writing style, the pacing is weird. I didn’t feel like the writing really made me care about the characters.
The main character is ridiculously annoying and often makes unwise decisions. I also don’t think that her character is always the most believable. For example when her dad is gone in France hanging out with some lady, and her mom is with Apollo and she doesn’t seem to care. Ripping down the artist in residence sign too just because you’re angry is super dangerous. She also really should have told someone about her mom. Also Apollo’s “lost love” being her mom was completely predictable. How exactly did it take her so long to figure that out?
Richard and Alex’s characters also kind of fell flat to me. If seems like Alex is just the active dude who never stops moving without any development, and Richard only cares about monsters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2019
Soooo I have some problems with the story telling in the book. Not that the book is BAD, it just has problems.
This is a book about depression. But it wraps itself up in a art mystery that I don't know was necessary for the plot. Also about half way through was the turning point in the depression part of the story but then it went into a weird trip to an island and then a fire. It has problems. SO MANY PROBLEMS.
But for the kids out there who love a trauma book they will be quit happy with this thing. I, on the other hand, have had reading ruined for me for now.
This is a book about depression. But it wraps itself up in a art mystery that I don't know was necessary for the plot. Also about half way through was the turning point in the depression part of the story but then it went into a weird trip to an island and then a fire. It has problems. SO MANY PROBLEMS.
But for the kids out there who love a trauma book they will be quit happy with this thing. I, on the other hand, have had reading ruined for me for now.
October 18, 2019
I liked all the details of this book, but the intro was just too long. The premise just repeated itself for 150 pages until the plot really started moving along, so it took a while to really capture my attention.
August 21, 2019
This book was quite slow going, which I didn't particularly care for, but the kicker for me was an unkind description of a child (and an adult) with a physical difference made in passing. Not cool.
May 27, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
Genre: MG Contemporary
Recommended Age: 13+ (depression, starvation, neglect, and some criminal activity)
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 320
Amazon Link
Synopsis: SoHo, 1981. Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist—and in her neighborhood, that's normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures in a corner of their loft, leaving Ollie to roam the streets of New York with her best friends Richard and Alex, drawing everything that catches her eye.
Then everything falls apart. Ollie's dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she's not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . .
Olympia knows her dad is the key--but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.
Review: I thought this book was pretty cool. I loved the art mystery and the book is full of twist and turns. The characters are well developed and fun. The writing is spectacular. And I really loved how the author put a note in the back about mental illness and really broke it down and explained it to young readers. The author also provided phone numbers for the readers to call if needed.
However, I felt that the book was longer than it needed to be? Like it could have definitely ended earlier in my opinion. I felt that the pacing was a bit wonky, it was slow but fast then slow again. And overall I felt this book, while a cool art mystery, had some very concerning elements. The characters mother is suffering from depression and can't get out of bed. The father has run away to another country for a spoiler reason. The main characters teachers and adult friends do not realize the main character is wasting away (to quote "'you don't see the way she looks? Silent and starving, like something out of Dickens'... 'like a street urchin, totally neglected'"), the only character to do so is a random side character who's the mother of one of her friends. I don't know, I feel that this character was so neglected, which I bet was the intention of the book, but she should have been taken better care of. I feel angry that this child was neglected by basically everyone in the book and I feel that a teacher or that friends mother should have contacted child services to help the family and child. I feel that when the main character went to the hospital that if the main character was really wasting away as it was put in the book the doctors would have called social services. And at the end the book gives this sense of hope but from my experience and knowledge this child, if this was real, would have a lot of issues later in her life and would probably have some health issues from "silent and starving" as one adult put it in the book. I don't know, it just felt like the main character was secondary in her own book and I fear it might send a message that they're not worthy of receiving help if young readers don't read the back of the book.
Verdict: a really cool art mystery but maybe some adult guidance on the tougher subjects.
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
Genre: MG Contemporary
Recommended Age: 13+ (depression, starvation, neglect, and some criminal activity)
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 320
Amazon Link
Synopsis: SoHo, 1981. Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist—and in her neighborhood, that's normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures in a corner of their loft, leaving Ollie to roam the streets of New York with her best friends Richard and Alex, drawing everything that catches her eye.
Then everything falls apart. Ollie's dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she's not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . .
Olympia knows her dad is the key--but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.
Review: I thought this book was pretty cool. I loved the art mystery and the book is full of twist and turns. The characters are well developed and fun. The writing is spectacular. And I really loved how the author put a note in the back about mental illness and really broke it down and explained it to young readers. The author also provided phone numbers for the readers to call if needed.
However, I felt that the book was longer than it needed to be? Like it could have definitely ended earlier in my opinion. I felt that the pacing was a bit wonky, it was slow but fast then slow again. And overall I felt this book, while a cool art mystery, had some very concerning elements. The characters mother is suffering from depression and can't get out of bed. The father has run away to another country for a spoiler reason. The main characters teachers and adult friends do not realize the main character is wasting away (to quote "'you don't see the way she looks? Silent and starving, like something out of Dickens'... 'like a street urchin, totally neglected'"), the only character to do so is a random side character who's the mother of one of her friends. I don't know, I feel that this character was so neglected, which I bet was the intention of the book, but she should have been taken better care of. I feel angry that this child was neglected by basically everyone in the book and I feel that a teacher or that friends mother should have contacted child services to help the family and child. I feel that when the main character went to the hospital that if the main character was really wasting away as it was put in the book the doctors would have called social services. And at the end the book gives this sense of hope but from my experience and knowledge this child, if this was real, would have a lot of issues later in her life and would probably have some health issues from "silent and starving" as one adult put it in the book. I don't know, it just felt like the main character was secondary in her own book and I fear it might send a message that they're not worthy of receiving help if young readers don't read the back of the book.
Verdict: a really cool art mystery but maybe some adult guidance on the tougher subjects.
December 18, 2022
This was another one I loved.
Aimed at middle school readers, it's a thoughtful meditation on the mysteries that one's parents lives present to young people. And also a very careful consideration of the impacts of depression on a young person without resources. It examines the fear and the quiet desperation at trying to deal with impossible situations in a humane and believable manner.
The book also looks at art, at how the ideas of art worm their way into the fabric of society, providing conceptual foundations for all sorts of thoughts and ideas. It looks at the history of art, and at the process of art, how different people make art, and what it means to them, and how the expressions of their art differ.
And of course, the book also delves into the nature of our relationships to the other people in our lives, and how we manage, nurture or sometimes poison them.
As a minor note: I also loved the artwork on the cover. It's simple, appropriate to its intended age group, yet evocative of its subject: The City.
Great book, highly recommended. Aimed at middle grade readers, but with a great deal more depth than is often offered to that age range.
As always: I paid retail price for the Kindle version of this book, my thoughts on it are my own. They were neither solicited by, nor compensated for, by the author or by the publisher.
Aimed at middle school readers, it's a thoughtful meditation on the mysteries that one's parents lives present to young people. And also a very careful consideration of the impacts of depression on a young person without resources. It examines the fear and the quiet desperation at trying to deal with impossible situations in a humane and believable manner.
The book also looks at art, at how the ideas of art worm their way into the fabric of society, providing conceptual foundations for all sorts of thoughts and ideas. It looks at the history of art, and at the process of art, how different people make art, and what it means to them, and how the expressions of their art differ.
And of course, the book also delves into the nature of our relationships to the other people in our lives, and how we manage, nurture or sometimes poison them.
As a minor note: I also loved the artwork on the cover. It's simple, appropriate to its intended age group, yet evocative of its subject: The City.
Great book, highly recommended. Aimed at middle grade readers, but with a great deal more depth than is often offered to that age range.
As always: I paid retail price for the Kindle version of this book, my thoughts on it are my own. They were neither solicited by, nor compensated for, by the author or by the publisher.
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