A review by lawbooks600
Air by Monica Roe

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Representation: Character with a physical disability, side Latina and Black characters
Score: Six and a half out of ten.

I enjoyed Air by Monica Roe, but it could've been so much better. I'm not saying it missed the mark, I'm saying if the author made some improvements to Air, I would've given it more than six and a half out of ten. I wanted to read it, but I put it off for a few months, and when I closed the final page, it was okay.

It starts with Emelyn 'Emmie' Ethrige recounting her life by telling me about mundane events like going to school, all while using a wheelchair, because of her spina bifida. Everything appears typical until Emmie had an accident on the school ramp, forcing the school to develop a special plan for her, much to her dismay. A person without a disability tried to help Emmie by grabbing her wheels, but she didn't feel like it helped. They put Emmie in a program for people with 'exceptional needs,' whatever that means, but I'm assuming it means it's a program for neurodiverse people or people with physical disabilities like Emmie. 

I liked some parts of Air, like the likable characters, but not others, like the absence of intersectionality. How come no one talked about how Emmie is white but also has a disability and goes to a public school, giving her less privilege over people without disabilities? Putting a POC with a disability would help explore that subject. The one Latina character, Ale, and other Black characters mentioned were in the background most of the time. Really? 

There wasn't a support network for Emmie as her school didn't help, her mother passed before the narrative began and her father dismantled her ramp, making her life harder. Adding a support network would improve the reading experience. I liked the plot point where lots of people without disabilities raised money for Emmie's new wheelchair, but they all ignored the problem of the underfunded public school not being accessible for people with disabilities. Emmie donates the money back to improve the school's accessibility, contributing to a satisfying climax.
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