Book Review: Hello, Universe, by Erin Entrada Kelly 1), published March 14, 2017, 2018 Newbery Award winner, 320 pages, Lexile 690, recommended for grades 5-7, or ages 9-12. Please note: this title is not yet in the Pageturner library and requires student requests for purchases to be made.
Welcome to the often not-so-wonderful world of kids, especially those relentlessly bullied because of their alleged differences. Our story opens with Kaori Tanaka, who fancies her parents emerged from some mountain-high, samurai village in old Japan, although they are second-generation born in Ohio, “No matter. Kaori knew in her bones that they were meant to be born in the mountains.” Immediately we are made to understand that here is a girl who fiercely believes in her own imagination.
Kaori fashions herself as an astrological seer, a fortune teller/psychic extraordinaire who can see fate and never doubts her supernatural perceptions. Yet an example of her perhaps unexceptional, 11-year old prowess is clear when she tells 7-year old Gen, her sister, that Pisces’ s insecurities and indecisiveness are clear in the constellation’s depiction as two fish facing away from each other, while Scorpio’s warrior-like confidence is equally clear, because its sting is poisonous. They are, therefore, exactly opposites, destined for each other. For what it’s worth, astrologers would agree with her assessment. Who knows? Actually, the stars are no longer in the alignment still used by astrologers--and haven’t been for quite awhile. (N.B. All ideas expressed herein are, as always, my own. I have a 32-year old data analyst at home who swears by astrology, with all its star birth charts and inextricable sub-signs.)
Kaori fashions herself as an astrological seer, a fortune teller/psychic extraordinaire who can see fate and never doubts her supernatural perceptions. Yet an example of her perhaps unexceptional, 11-year old prowess is clear when she tells 7-year old Gen, her sister, that Pisces’ s insecurities and indecisiveness are clear in the constellation’s depiction as two fish facing away from each other, while Scorpio’s warrior-like confidence is equally clear, because its sting is poisonous. They are, therefore, exactly opposites, destined for each other. For what it’s worth, astrologers would agree with her assessment. Who knows? Actually, the stars are no longer in the alignment still used by astrologers--and haven’t been for quite awhile. (N.B. All ideas expressed herein are, as always, my own. I have a 32-year old data analyst at home who swears by astrology, with all its star birth charts and inextricable sub-signs.)
Then there’s Virgil, an intensely shy, introverted Filipino boy the same age, whose family relentlessly ridicules him as “Turtle” --a powerful example that not all expressions of love are positive or even at all helpful. It’s a good thing that Virgil reminds himself that turtles have endured for millions of years when many other species perished, precisely BECAUSE of their self-protecting shells! Virgil is Kaori’s only client; he wants her to help him befriend Valencia, a girl in his school who is deaf 3), which is no matter whatsoever to Virgil.
Valencia, too, has parental issues:
“Don’t get me wrong. There are times when my mom is easy to talk to. If you catch her on a good day, she isn’t too mom-like. But I can never tell which mom I’ll get. Sometimes she is overprotective, overbearing, overeverything. I once asked her flat out if she treated me that way because I’m deaf, because that’s what it feels like sometimes. “I’m not overprotective because you’re deaf. I’m overprotective because I’m your mother,” she’d said. But something in her eyes told me that wasn’t the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I’m good at reading eyes. Same as lips.” Valencia has a worse issue with her parents. Even with hearing aids in both ears, she can only hear people talking to her if they keep looking at her, so she can read their lips. She desperately wants to learn sign language, but her hearing parents don't want to pay for classes and think the hearing aids are enough. 2)
Kaori is certain Virgil and Valencia’s opposite qualities are uniquely compatible. Her little sister Gen, on the other hand, displays remarkable acuity, for a 7-year old:
““They’re meant to be friends. It’s fate. I know it,’ Kaori said. ‘Somehow the universe figures these things out.’ ‘How?’ ‘Like putting them in the same place at the same time, or using a special force like me to help them find their way.’ ‘ They were in the same place at the same time for a whole year at school, and they didn’t even speak.’ ‘[That was Virgil, not the universe. You can see how shy he is. He carries a rodent in his backpack, Gen. A rodent.’ ‘It’s not a rodent. It’s a guinea pig.’ 2) ‘That’s what guinea pigs are. They’re rodents. Just like rats or squirrels or mice.’ ‘I think Gulliver’s cute.’ ‘I’m just saying.’”
Kaori prevails upon Virgil to post an ad for her services at the local super and tells him to rturn on Saturday at 11 a.m. with 5 special stones. Valencia answers the ad and makes an appointment under an assumed name for Saturday at 1p.m , in case Kaori is really a serial killer.
Enter a genuine cretin of a kid: Chet Bullen, universally known in their community as the Bull. He gets it from his father, a real piece of work; his dad drives Chet toward excellence, only to make the boy feel inferior and insecure--which, in turn, makes him bully other kids to boost his own shriveling ego. Still, it's very hard to feel sorry for this kid. He’s the bane of Virgil’s existence and hates Valencia because he assumes she can really hear just fine but uses it to get away with, well, everything, to his mind. Author Kelly writes this character as such a dastard (thinking of a different word sounding almost the same, here) I couldn’t begin to feel sorry that his dad created all his brutality! Of course, the Bull finds Virgil en route to Kaori’s, with his beloved guinea pig, Guliver (3), in his backpack. VIrgil has found 5 stones Kaori directed him to find and bring to her, and some dandelion stems he's plucked for Gulliver, his favorite treat, when Chet the Bull descends upon him crossing the woods to Kaori’s house.
There’s an old well in the woods, covered with a wooden board. The Bull rips off Virgil’s pack and tosses it down the well. Sometime after he thinks the Bull has gone, Virgil descends a rickety ladder, not knowing whether Gulliver has drowned. The ladder is missing rungs near the bottom and he has to fall the rest of the way. Gulliver’s ok, the well is dry, but now Virgil can’t reach the bottom rung, even on tiptoes. Chet has gone off, continuing his hunt for a living snake, which he intends to 1, poke with a stick, and 2, grab by the tail, then behind the head--all VERY wrong things to do, which Valencia, nature lover as she is, could have told him.
As bad luck would have it, Valencia sees the cover off the well and, concerned some animal might fall in, duly replaces the cover. If Virgil is yelling at the top of his lungs, Valencia is completely unaware.
Somehow, the universe aligns for a happy ending. It’s Valencia who eventually solves the puzzle of Virgil’s disappearance, after connecting with both Kaori and Virgil’s family. In the well, “The darkness had teeth that snapped and clenched, and here was Virgil, sitting at the bottom of its throat. He couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face. There wasn’t a sliver of light anywhere. Not a single pinprick. ‘The Bull wants to kill me,’ he said.” Then he starts to think how his fears don’t serve him, and he decides not to be fearful anymore. Meanwhile, the Bull himself will get his comeuppance by doing what he'd planned, when he finally discovers a snake; he gets bitten and thinks he's going to die. Virgil will stand up to Chet Bullens, now diminished by his episode in nature. He’ll demand his parents treat him better, too. Valencia will make real friends for the first time. And finally, Virgil will screw up his courage to address her himself. Valencia ends with:
“’I stare at the single word, and for some reason, I don’t know why . . . I get a weird feeling in my belly, like a hundred butterflies have taken flight. It says: hello.’”
This novel admits that parents don't always get it right but can change for the better, when kids speak their truth. There are many big ideas here, with friendship being the biggest, but fear, loneliness, worry, the insecurities that prompt bullying as well as possible solutions--it's all packed in, here. I read the other day that the biggest ideas are often best expressed in short words--Kelly's writing is simple but eloquent, and beautifully drafted.
This novel admits that parents don't always get it right but can change for the better, when kids speak their truth. There are many big ideas here, with friendship being the biggest, but fear, loneliness, worry, the insecurities that prompt bullying as well as possible solutions--it's all packed in, here. I read the other day that the biggest ideas are often best expressed in short words--Kelly's writing is simple but eloquent, and beautifully drafted.
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1) A note about the author: Hello, Universe (2017) is the third novel by Filipino-American author Erin Entrada Kelly. Kelly has garnered other awards for previous novels, including a Golden Kite Award and an Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature. Her other books include Blackbird Fly (2015), The Land of Forgotten Girls (2016), You Go First (2018), and Lalani of the Distant Sea (2019).
2) Valencia calls her mother "the worst pain" because for her, signing is a very big deal. And it really is: the deaf community is a proudly vibrant culture, intimately linked by sign language. For the deaf, theirs is not so much a disability as a gift, as theirs is a community without borders. "Deaf culture is unique as it’s not bound to any country or nation, and relies on visual communication and expression. It’s a culture with its own language and values, with a strong sense of community and identity. The primary language of the U.S. deaf community is American Sign Language (ASL). The earliest indication of the use of sign language was in Ancient Egypt, in a written text. Yet Greek philosopher Aristotle believed deaf people couldn’t learn without hearing, while an Italian physician in the 16th century believed the opposite. This clearly shows conflicting views on deafness during these early periods...Deaf identity and community are central to deaf culture. There’s a sense of pride in one's deafness, and a shared culture. This identity is often shaped by experiences at deaf schools, involvement in deaf organizations, and participation in social events. Having this strong connection within a relatively small group that shares ASL as the common language serves as a balm while navigating a hearing world." Excerpted from https://nagish.com/post/short-insight-into-deaf-culture#conclusion
2) Valencia calls her mother "the worst pain" because for her, signing is a very big deal. And it really is: the deaf community is a proudly vibrant culture, intimately linked by sign language. For the deaf, theirs is not so much a disability as a gift, as theirs is a community without borders. "Deaf culture is unique as it’s not bound to any country or nation, and relies on visual communication and expression. It’s a culture with its own language and values, with a strong sense of community and identity. The primary language of the U.S. deaf community is American Sign Language (ASL). The earliest indication of the use of sign language was in Ancient Egypt, in a written text. Yet Greek philosopher Aristotle believed deaf people couldn’t learn without hearing, while an Italian physician in the 16th century believed the opposite. This clearly shows conflicting views on deafness during these early periods...Deaf identity and community are central to deaf culture. There’s a sense of pride in one's deafness, and a shared culture. This identity is often shaped by experiences at deaf schools, involvement in deaf organizations, and participation in social events. Having this strong connection within a relatively small group that shares ASL as the common language serves as a balm while navigating a hearing world." Excerpted from https://nagish.com/post/short-insight-into-deaf-culture#conclusion
3) A peripheral character (maybe?) in this novel is this guinea pig, named Gulliver. There is a delightful drawing of Gulliver you can see here: https://www.supersummary.com/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fguide-covers-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fthumb%2Fhello-universe.png&w=3840&q=75
4) “How many deaf people live in the United States? According to the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS), about 3.6% of the U.S. population, or about 11 million individuals, consider themselves deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.” Read more at https://nationaldeafcenter.org/faq/how-many-deaf-people-live-in-the-united-states/
5) What resources are available in the U.S. for the deaf? Here’s a list of national and CA resources, including Family Resources, Education & Advocacy, General Resources, Resources for the Deaf and Blind, Legal Resources, Training, and Regional Center Directives, at: https://www.dds.ca.gov/services/deaf-hard-of-hearing-and-deafblind-resources/
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