The Radius of Us
The Radius of Us
Marie Marquardt
The Radius of Us, by Marie Marquardt, is emotional, sweet, and sends reader on a roller coaster of feelings. When Gretchen, the main character, is held to the ground for 90 seconds by an attacker, she is left with a ghost of herself. When spending 6 months in fear and panic, she sees someone who resembles her attacker. When’s she freaks out, and realizes that her attacker and the boy couldn’t be the same person, she goes back to apologize. The boy’s name is Phoenix, and he and his brother left their home in El Salvador in order to try and find an asylum in the United States. Gretchen and Phoenix quickly, and easily bond. When the two are together, they each feel accepted, and like all their problems are gone. But the pair might not have much time together, because the chances of Phoenix and his family getting an asylum are incredibly slim.
The Radius of Us, is sweet and perfect for many readers. The chapters alternate between Gretchen's and Phoenix's perspectives. At first, I thought this book may not be for me, but these two characters slowly stole my heart as their background stories were revealed. The thoughtful gestures they made to each other as their friendship developed were so sweet. The story behind the title is a really 'aww'-worthy moment! Gretchen and Phoenix are able to lean on each other, but sometimes it seems that Gretchen is the one that demands the most support. When she realizes the disparity in the relationship, she steps up for Phoenix in a meaningful way. They had their own issues to deal with outside of falling in love and other interesting relationships besides each other. Their connection solidified because they were are able to empathize with each other in a way that others weren't able to. Gretchen and Phoenix both survived things that no one should have to experience. They support each other as they learn how to overcome feelings of guilt and keep living a full life despite their past trauma. This story is fun, sweet, and adorable.
Grade Level:
- Suggested: 6th-8th
- Advanced: 5th
Genre: Realistic-fiction
Key Elements: Race, culture
Possible Themes: Acceptance, diversity
Overall Rating: 4/5
Happy Reading!
-The Book Lover-
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