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A review by wdianasheppard
Needlework by Julia Watts
5.0
I have a heart of stone. Little makes me cry, or even really upsets me in the realm of fiction - I am typically able to keep characters beloved but separate from the chambers of my heart that perceive them as "real". This was EMPHATICALLY NOT THE CASE with "Needlework" by Julia Watts, in which the characters stormed the gates of my heart after a three chapter siege and took up residence, victorious. I felt like I knew this people. I loved these people in all their complexities, failings, and triumphs. I was upset when the book ended because my time with them was over.
"Needlework" tells the story of Kody, a responsible, church-going kid in rural Kentucky, who lives with his grandmother and hides his queerness. His mother is an opioid addict, lost to demons of her own, and Kody frequently takes care of her throughout her substance abuse. The only things bringing Kody much joy are Dolly Parton records and secretly doing his own makeup, hiding his true self from a conservative world that would not understand his interests. And then one day he receives a message online from a Black girl claiming to be a half-sister he's never known of...
"Needlework" is entirely Kody's story; his unorthodox relationship with his mother and his repressed upbringing have all but killed his ambition and dreams, and "Needlework" follows him as he rediscovers his own interests and passions. One thing that surprised (and delighted) me is that despite the fact that Kody is very gay, there is not a love story for him in these pages. No, Kody strengthens his relationships with his family (and new family!) without the prodding of a convenient love interest, which makes me SO HAPPY because so often love interests in YA act as perfect psychotherapists who inspire great behavior just by being present. Kody does the hard work of navigating his difficult relationships with his family, addressing concepts of addiction, racism, homophobia, and religion. One thing I really enjoyed was the depiction of the South - it's clear that the author is FROM the South, and understands that people can be kind and thoughtful to some and still be close-minded, homophobic, and hurtful to others. Kody's realization that a lot of love comes his way to the fact he presents as a straight white cis male hurts the reader as much as it hurts him. Attitude in the South is never anything that isn't complex - these conservatives aren't villains, not entirely, so much as stuck in a mindset. Watts handles this with such a beautiful nuance. I know Kody's family because I'm from Northern Alabama. I've loved them, and I've wanted them to be better, just as Kody does.
Anyway, this book was amazing. It touched me, it broke my heart. I suspect some might want a larger resolution to Kody's mother's story, but I thought keeping it open was perfect: that's life. Things don't get perfectly tied up in a bow.
HIGHLY recommended to YA readers and adults alike.
"Needlework" tells the story of Kody, a responsible, church-going kid in rural Kentucky, who lives with his grandmother and hides his queerness. His mother is an opioid addict, lost to demons of her own, and Kody frequently takes care of her throughout her substance abuse. The only things bringing Kody much joy are Dolly Parton records and secretly doing his own makeup, hiding his true self from a conservative world that would not understand his interests. And then one day he receives a message online from a Black girl claiming to be a half-sister he's never known of...
"Needlework" is entirely Kody's story; his unorthodox relationship with his mother and his repressed upbringing have all but killed his ambition and dreams, and "Needlework" follows him as he rediscovers his own interests and passions. One thing that surprised (and delighted) me is that despite the fact that Kody is very gay, there is not a love story for him in these pages. No, Kody strengthens his relationships with his family (and new family!) without the prodding of a convenient love interest, which makes me SO HAPPY because so often love interests in YA act as perfect psychotherapists who inspire great behavior just by being present. Kody does the hard work of navigating his difficult relationships with his family, addressing concepts of addiction, racism, homophobia, and religion. One thing I really enjoyed was the depiction of the South - it's clear that the author is FROM the South, and understands that people can be kind and thoughtful to some and still be close-minded, homophobic, and hurtful to others. Kody's realization that a lot of love comes his way to the fact he presents as a straight white cis male hurts the reader as much as it hurts him. Attitude in the South is never anything that isn't complex - these conservatives aren't villains, not entirely, so much as stuck in a mindset. Watts handles this with such a beautiful nuance. I know Kody's family because I'm from Northern Alabama. I've loved them, and I've wanted them to be better, just as Kody does.
Anyway, this book was amazing. It touched me, it broke my heart. I suspect some might want a larger resolution to Kody's mother's story, but I thought keeping it open was perfect: that's life. Things don't get perfectly tied up in a bow.
HIGHLY recommended to YA readers and adults alike.