Sisters Alone

A thoughtful depiction of sisterhood and loss, elevated by its deliberate use of form.

Syrian American sisters must put aside their differences to survive a deadly snowstorm in this stirring verse novel from Safadi (Kareem Between). Blaming herself for her mother's death six months earlier, Indiana sixth grader Leena withdraws from friends and family, finding solace in creating scrapbooks of memories. Meanwhile, her sister Rama, two years older, wrestles with bubbling anger and intrusive thoughts, which negatively impact her relationship with Leena, for whom Rama feels responsible. Ritual prayers provide comfort and common ground for the hijabi siblings. When Leena forgets to submit her permission slip for a weeklong school ski trip, the sisters are forced to stay home as a blizzard descends. Rama forbids Leena from notifying their father, away for work in Japan, of their predicament, reasoning, "We have books, Wi-Fi, warmth, and/ before we know it, Baba will be back." But when worsening conditions and a falling tree branch make their isolated house inhospitable, the pair work together to get help. Lean, nuanced text in varying fonts render a thrilling tale teeming with richly wrought details, highlighting Leena's numbing grief in clipped, lowercase lines while Rama's simmering anger nudges the typeface into all caps and larger characters. Equal parts survival story and homage to sisterhood, it's a standout. Ages 8-12. Agent: Janine Le, Janine Le Literary. (Sept.)