IMPERFECT SPIRAL
Danielle Snyder’s summer job as a babysitter takes a tragic turn when Humphrey, her five-year-old charge, runs into traffic to chase down his football. Immediately Danielle is caught up in the machinery of tragedy: police investigations, neighborhood squabbling, and—when the driver of the car that struck Humphrey turns out to be an undocumented alien—a politically charged immigration debate. Danielle’s thoughts are on Humphrey—her funny, fun, peculiar "Humpty" and the two months they spent together—but all around her, friends and strangers seem focused on everything and everyone else.
Imperfect Spiral is about a tragedy, a community’s search for someone or something to blame, and a teenage girl’s realization that sometimes the most, and the least, you can do is try to stop one bad thing from leading to another. It’s also a story of deep connection between two slightly oddball souls—Danielle and Humphrey—that transcends age and, in some ways, even death.
Walker Books/Bloomsbury
Ages 12 up
ISBN 978-0-8027-34441-9
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REVIEWS
“. . . a heartfelt drama that touches on the themes of friendship, love, fear, and death. . . . Readers will find a relevant and inspiring story. . . .”
“Levy’s unflinching look at pain is masterful. The narrative fluidly moves from lighter moments with Humphrey to the darkness of grief, avoiding false sentimentality.”
“The discussion of. . . real issues is deftly woven into the story, never overshadowing the protagonist’s journey toward healing. . . . This book is sure to be a hit among teens seeking a substantive drama”
“. . . a story of love and loss deepened by the protagonist’s inspiring development from someone afraid of conflict into someone who can stand up for what she believes is right.”
“This young adult novel also confronts the issue of illegal immigration. Debbie Levy uses her writing to bring this problem to readers’ attention. By giving IMPERFECT SPIRAL even more meaning to its readers, this novel just keeps getting better.”
“Levy has created an incredibly nuanced relationship between [Danielle and Humphrey], showing that the most important relationships can form outside traditional boundaries like age groups and family ties. . . . It’s a story of love and loss that distinguishes itself from the flood of YA books tackling those topics by challenging how we define family and who you can count among your friends.”
“. . . exquisite. . . . Levy excels at the kind of detail-rich, nuanced characterization that brings to life wry, diffident Danielle, her babysitting charge, 5-year-old Humphrey, and her family and friends. . . . Levy skillfully handles a complex narrative that threads Danielle’s recollections of Humphrey through the events of the story. Danielle doesn’t want to forget him and neither will any reader of this tender, graceful book.”
“Readers will laugh and cry, but perhaps most importantly, they will think their way through important personal and social issues as they grieve along with Danielle.”