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A review by rbreade
If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko
Two pov characters, Walk, an African-American who is new to the expensive, private school attended by the other character, Kirsten. Walk's chapters are third-person while Kirsten's are first, which kept me wondering during the whole book why the writer made this choice. The 3p gives somewhat more psychic distance between Walk's mind and the narrator, as opposed to the very intimate first, though the constant switch from third to first made it difficult to settle into a reading rhythm.
There are several subplots: Kirsten's best friend, Rory, starts the school year as a follower of wealthy mean girl, Brianna; interestingly, this doesn't change by the end of the novel--Rory is actually deeper in Brianna's camp than ever. Kirsten has gained weight as she sublimates her anxiety about her parents constant fighting, and what they've been fighting about--the knowledge, accidentally learned by Kirsten two-third's of the way through the book, that Walk is Kirsten's dad's love child--is set up on the first page.
Choldenko makes the bold decision to resolve almost nothing, instead only hinting at changes to come. That said, the ending does seem abrupt: a journal entry by Walk for a class assignment grappling with the "If a tree falls..." saying. Walk's answer is, Yes, it does still make a sound, and this stands for his life, Kirsten's life, anyone's life: they all matter, even if the life in question is far from the spotlight.
There are several subplots: Kirsten's best friend, Rory, starts the school year as a follower of wealthy mean girl, Brianna; interestingly, this doesn't change by the end of the novel--Rory is actually deeper in Brianna's camp than ever. Kirsten has gained weight as she sublimates her anxiety about her parents constant fighting, and what they've been fighting about--the knowledge, accidentally learned by Kirsten two-third's of the way through the book, that Walk is Kirsten's dad's love child--is set up on the first page.
Choldenko makes the bold decision to resolve almost nothing, instead only hinting at changes to come. That said, the ending does seem abrupt: a journal entry by Walk for a class assignment grappling with the "If a tree falls..." saying. Walk's answer is, Yes, it does still make a sound, and this stands for his life, Kirsten's life, anyone's life: they all matter, even if the life in question is far from the spotlight.