Every Single Second

Starred review from April 11, 2016
Springstubb (Moonpenny Island) contemplates the concept of time throughout this wrenching coming-of-age novel, which explores the complex and often painful dynamics among family and friends. In chapters labeled “then” and “now,” the narrative switches between Nella Sabatini’s present, at age 12, and her younger years. When Anthony, the beloved older brother of Nella’s friend Angela, pulls the trigger in a shooting that leaves an African-American man dead, the incident polarizes black and Italian-American communities and raises the ghost of a tragedy from years before (“ ‘Oh no,’ whispered Mom.... ‘Not again’.... The past rushed up and plowed into the present, a terrible collision, a horrible accident”). The temporal theme unfolds through short interludes from a statue’s perspective, Angela’s father’s post-traumatic stress disorder (“It all comes back over him, and it’s like he’s right there again”), and Nella’s friend Clem’s obsession with time. Nella’s growing awareness of endings and beginnings, the meaning of friendship, and the power of choices combine to create an unsettling, compelling, and heartwarming tale. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

Narrator Arielle DeLisle channels the emotional core of this contemporary coming-of-age story, which explores faith, prejudice, friendship, and family in Little Italy. In the course of a few weeks, the comfortable patterns of 12-year-old Nella Sabatini's life are forever disrupted after she discovers something disturbing about her beloved father, finds out her Catholic school will be closing, and learns that a family friend mistakenly killed a young black man. Using a clipped, bright delivery to start, DeLisle highlights Nella's outwardly breezy personality; later she slows down and softens her voice to signal the young teen's troubled thoughts as she tries to make sense of the world around her. Despite the sometimes too quick pace, DeLisle's expressive performance is sure to engage young listeners. C.B.L. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine