A Million Things by Emily Spurr – 304 pages
ARC from Netgalley and Berkley Books for an honest review
Book Blurb:
For as long as Rae can remember, it’s been her and Mum, and their dog, Splinter; a small, deliberately unremarkable, family. They have their walks, their cooking routines, their home. Sometimes Mum disappears for a while to clear her head but Rae is okay with this, because Mum always comes back.
So, when Rae wakes to Splinter’s nose in her face, the back door open, and no Mum, she does as she’s always done and carries on. She takes care of the house, goes to school, walks Splinter, and minds her own business—all the while pushing down the truth she isn’t ready to face.
That is, until her grumpy, lonely neighbor Lettie—with her own secrets and sadness—falls one night and needs Rae’s help. As the two begin to rely on each other, Rae’s anxiety intensifies as she wonders what will happen to her when her mother’s absence is finally noticed and her fragile world bursts open.
My Review: 4 stars
A Million Things is a heartbreaking and heartwarming story about a young girl growing up with a mentally ill mother. I can’t believe this is a debut author as this book read like a seasoned storyteller.
Like in Room or Only Child, this book is also told from a child’s POV, ten-year-old Rae. She will steal your heart. Rae has been left alone for chunks of time or many days at a time, based on her mother’s need for alone time. She’s only knows this way of care but isn’t prepared when her mom doesn’t return. After she figures out what happened to her mother, she is focused on not letting anyone else know and her and her dog’s survival.
Told in sections by days alone, we see her struggles and successes. We feel her fright and tension. As her time alone progresses, we see relationship form with her unusual, lonely, and nosy neighbor Lettie. Lettie is much older, with some mental health issues of her own, yet the two learn from each other in astonishing ways.
Dog lovers will appreciate this story as Splinter is an important characater – he’s Rae’s most trusted companion. He represents the unconditional love dogs have for their humans. The foreboding shed was more than a location, it also served as a stagnant, menacing character.
I loved when Lettie calls Rae a “kiddo” and Rae called her “goato” in response. This book will bring on all the feels, tears of joy and of sadness. Well done debut!
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