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Every Single Second
From acclaimed author Tricia Springstubb comes an incredibly powerful and timely novel about how a single act impacts a community, a city, and the way a young girl views the world around her.
A single second. That’s all it takes to turn a world upside down.
Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini’s life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn’t seem concerned; she’s busy figuring out the best way to spend the “leap second”—an extra second about to be added to the world’s official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being “secret sisters” to not talking at all.
Then Angela’s idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela’s situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up. Her heart tries to tell her what to do, but can you always trust your heart? The clock ticks down, and in that extra second, past and present merge—the future will be up to her.
Tricia Springstubb’s extraordinary novel is about the shifting bonds of friendship and the unconditional love of family, the impact of class and racial divides on a neighborhood and a city, and a girl awakening to awareness of a world bigger and more complex than she’d ever imagined.
A single second. That’s all it takes to turn a world upside down.
Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini’s life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn’t seem concerned; she’s busy figuring out the best way to spend the “leap second”—an extra second about to be added to the world’s official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being “secret sisters” to not talking at all.
Then Angela’s idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela’s situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up. Her heart tries to tell her what to do, but can you always trust your heart? The clock ticks down, and in that extra second, past and present merge—the future will be up to her.
Tricia Springstubb’s extraordinary novel is about the shifting bonds of friendship and the unconditional love of family, the impact of class and racial divides on a neighborhood and a city, and a girl awakening to awareness of a world bigger and more complex than she’d ever imagined.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2016
29 people are currently reading
1869 people want to read
About the author
Tricia Springstubb
31 books156 followersSister James Bernard, my first grade teacher, taught me how to read. Our class had 60 children (yes) and we went up and down the long rows, taking turns reading aloud. There was absolutely no reading ahead, which was torture. I was always dying to know What happened next? (though with Dick and Jane, the answer was usually, Not much.) As I grew up, I began to wonder not only what happened, but why, and much much later,inhabiting other people's stories wasn't enough. I began to make my own.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
June 18, 2016
Every Single Second is a powerful book that stays with you long after the last page is read. The message readers walk away from this read is just what the title says, every single second matters. One decision can change everything. The main character Nella finds herself in the middle of a modern day account of a civil rights movement after a white man shoots a black man. She and her friend Angela work together to help the community come together rather than pull apart, choosing kindness and forgiveness rather than hate and retaliation. Such an important book to read in light of current events!
June 7, 2017
You can read all of my reviews on my blog -> Cover2CoverMom
I’m really conflicted over this one. On one hand, there were many great aspects about this middle grade book, but on the other I think the author may have been a little too ambitious with all the “heavy topics” that she included in one book. This book includes topics like ((What I’ve hidden isn’t necessarily a spoiler, but I did want to hide it from those who like to go into a book not knowing much about the plot)) With all these “heavy topics” plus the alternating timeline, this book felt very busy to me. The author’s writing style was a little hard to get used to at first, but it did get easier over the course of the book.
Most of all, I struggled with how the author handled the race relations within the book. It isn’t necessarily problematic, but I don’t necessarily think it was handled correctly either. In my opinion, it was very risky attempting a book that has this particular scenario I think if the author had left out the race relations, and focused on the other topics, then I would have enjoyed this book a lot more.
Don’t get me wrong, this book had some good things going for it: themes like friendship, family, and community. I also really liked the portrayal of growing up in a catholic school, as it brought me lots of nostalgia.
I’m really conflicted over this one. On one hand, there were many great aspects about this middle grade book, but on the other I think the author may have been a little too ambitious with all the “heavy topics” that she included in one book. This book includes topics like ((What I’ve hidden isn’t necessarily a spoiler, but I did want to hide it from those who like to go into a book not knowing much about the plot)) With all these “heavy topics” plus the alternating timeline, this book felt very busy to me. The author’s writing style was a little hard to get used to at first, but it did get easier over the course of the book.
Most of all, I struggled with how the author handled the race relations within the book. It isn’t necessarily problematic, but I don’t necessarily think it was handled correctly either. In my opinion, it was very risky attempting a book that has this particular scenario I think if the author had left out the race relations, and focused on the other topics, then I would have enjoyed this book a lot more.
Don’t get me wrong, this book had some good things going for it: themes like friendship, family, and community. I also really liked the portrayal of growing up in a catholic school, as it brought me lots of nostalgia.
February 26, 2016
Definitely one of my favorite books so far this year. It was a really heartbreaking and believable portrayal of not only perceptions and prejudices, but of children who grow up and change and don't necessarily understand all of what's going on around them. I loved Nella very much even when I wanted to reach into the book and go NO THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GOING ON, and I might've cried at a couple places. Highly recommended!
October 13, 2018
I loved this book. This was a new author for me but I will definitely try another.
The story covered so many timely topics - racism, PTSD, mental illness, friendship, family - and it was done so well. Everything worked.
The story covered so many timely topics - racism, PTSD, mental illness, friendship, family - and it was done so well. Everything worked.
July 18, 2016
The summary of this book doesn't really do it justice. This is a solid and engaging coming-of-age title featuring a girl with too many little brothers, a former best friend whose life is too complicated to make sense of, and a recently learned Old Family Secret (which has never been a secret to the rest of the town). I love the way that Nella really grows in this story, and the way the author resolves friendships and other relationships.
I think a lot of fifth- and sixth-graders would really respond to this book - my one concern is that the main character is so strongly shaped by her religion (pervasive, as she attends Catholic school and lives in a traditional Italian Catholic neighborhood) that readers who didn't grow up in that tradition might find it alienating. Even some events of the story depend a bit on understanding things like a First Communion. I'd have to think pretty hard about putting this in the library at my very diverse school - but it's a great choice for a public library, a Catholic school, or for purchase. I'll seek out more by this author.
I think a lot of fifth- and sixth-graders would really respond to this book - my one concern is that the main character is so strongly shaped by her religion (pervasive, as she attends Catholic school and lives in a traditional Italian Catholic neighborhood) that readers who didn't grow up in that tradition might find it alienating. Even some events of the story depend a bit on understanding things like a First Communion. I'd have to think pretty hard about putting this in the library at my very diverse school - but it's a great choice for a public library, a Catholic school, or for purchase. I'll seek out more by this author.
March 6, 2019
I won’t lie i thought this book was a little slow at times but it was worth it!
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May 23, 2024I think this review thoroughly sums up my similar thoughts on this title.
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July 11, 2016A beautifully written and richly layered coming-of-age story that tackles timely issues and will lead to productive discussions with middle school readers.
EVERY SINGLE SECOND follows twelve-year-old Nella through "then" and "now" chapters (and also weaves in occasional short chapters from the perspective of a statue that has witnessed generations' worth of tensions, tragedies, and celebrations in the richly drawn Italian neighborhood where the book is set). This is an ambitious, sweeping novel; Nella struggles with lots of family, friendship, and community issues that feel both universal and specific. Over the course of the book, she learns a secret that changes her view of her father, grows apart from her childhood best friend, works to make sense of her role within her family and her relationship with her difficult great-grandmother, and grapples with racial tensions that bubble under the surface from the start of the book, when she and other characters express their fear about attending a public school in what turns out to be a predominantly black neighborhood after their Catholic school closes, and that boil over after a white character whom Nella knows well shoots and kills a black man.
The book has a lot of lovely subplots that enhance the main storyline; I especially appreciated the scenes that show Nella's very realistic affection for and resentment of her younger brothers as well as the scenes that feature her great-grandmother, who is revealed to be selfless and loving but also fearful and racist. Springstubb brings us deep inside Nella's mind and presents her thoughts so honestly; there were so many moments when I thought, "Yes! I remember feeling that," especially in the moments when Nella feels annoyed with her childhood best friend, Angela, but also feels loyal to Angela and guilty about her annoyance. A lot of middle grade books show friends growing apart, but they more often focus on the friend who is abandoned rather than the one who moves on to other friends, and I love the relatable way Springstubb portrays Nella's experience of wanting to distance herself from Angela.
The "then" and "now" structure gives the book a leisurely pace and requires careful attention to avoid getting confused, so that might turn off some readers, but I think it's an effective choice because one of the book's major themes involves the connections between past and present events. It's impossible for young people to avoid knowing about all of the police brutality against black people in the past couple of years, and it's important to have age-appropriate stories that delve into upsetting issues like this one. Sensitive young people who are grappling with what to make of these horrible news stories will appreciate Springstubb's treatment of the shooting in this novel. I can recommend ALL AMERICAN BOYS and HOW IT WENT DOWN to older readers (and some middle school readers are certainly ready to pick up those books), but I'm glad to have a solidly middle grade novel to recommend to younger readers. It's a huge challenge to represent such a complex, devastating issue in a way that is honest but also gentle enough to be developmentally appropriate. Granted, EVERY SINGLE SECOND is Nella's story and not the story of the man who was shot or his fiancee, but the book's hopeful resolution feels like it might oversimplify the experience of the victim's family. Still, I loved reading this gorgeously written novel and think it would make an outstanding read-aloud, book club pick, or whole class read for 5th-7th graders. My sense is that some middle school readers will love it on their own but more will appreciate it if they read it with a group and can discuss it.
EVERY SINGLE SECOND follows twelve-year-old Nella through "then" and "now" chapters (and also weaves in occasional short chapters from the perspective of a statue that has witnessed generations' worth of tensions, tragedies, and celebrations in the richly drawn Italian neighborhood where the book is set). This is an ambitious, sweeping novel; Nella struggles with lots of family, friendship, and community issues that feel both universal and specific. Over the course of the book, she learns a secret that changes her view of her father, grows apart from her childhood best friend, works to make sense of her role within her family and her relationship with her difficult great-grandmother, and grapples with racial tensions that bubble under the surface from the start of the book, when she and other characters express their fear about attending a public school in what turns out to be a predominantly black neighborhood after their Catholic school closes, and that boil over after a white character whom Nella knows well shoots and kills a black man.
The book has a lot of lovely subplots that enhance the main storyline; I especially appreciated the scenes that show Nella's very realistic affection for and resentment of her younger brothers as well as the scenes that feature her great-grandmother, who is revealed to be selfless and loving but also fearful and racist. Springstubb brings us deep inside Nella's mind and presents her thoughts so honestly; there were so many moments when I thought, "Yes! I remember feeling that," especially in the moments when Nella feels annoyed with her childhood best friend, Angela, but also feels loyal to Angela and guilty about her annoyance. A lot of middle grade books show friends growing apart, but they more often focus on the friend who is abandoned rather than the one who moves on to other friends, and I love the relatable way Springstubb portrays Nella's experience of wanting to distance herself from Angela.
The "then" and "now" structure gives the book a leisurely pace and requires careful attention to avoid getting confused, so that might turn off some readers, but I think it's an effective choice because one of the book's major themes involves the connections between past and present events. It's impossible for young people to avoid knowing about all of the police brutality against black people in the past couple of years, and it's important to have age-appropriate stories that delve into upsetting issues like this one. Sensitive young people who are grappling with what to make of these horrible news stories will appreciate Springstubb's treatment of the shooting in this novel. I can recommend ALL AMERICAN BOYS and HOW IT WENT DOWN to older readers (and some middle school readers are certainly ready to pick up those books), but I'm glad to have a solidly middle grade novel to recommend to younger readers. It's a huge challenge to represent such a complex, devastating issue in a way that is honest but also gentle enough to be developmentally appropriate. Granted, EVERY SINGLE SECOND is Nella's story and not the story of the man who was shot or his fiancee, but the book's hopeful resolution feels like it might oversimplify the experience of the victim's family. Still, I loved reading this gorgeously written novel and think it would make an outstanding read-aloud, book club pick, or whole class read for 5th-7th graders. My sense is that some middle school readers will love it on their own but more will appreciate it if they read it with a group and can discuss it.
December 16, 2016
I loved this story, set in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, for its warm, real characters, the theme of friendships starting and changing, and the realistic depiction of families from different cultural backgrounds and experiences and the hardships they often endure. It also deals with race relations and issues from today's world, in an age-appropriate way for a middle grade/middle school book. Being set in a somewhat familiar area for me certainly added to the appeal, but you don't have to be from the Cleveland area to enjoy reading about this closeknit neighborhood of Catholic Italian families and their Old World charm. Interspersed between the chapters narrated by the main character are magical-realistic chapters where a statue in a cemetery tells his story, as a longtime observer of the neighborhood, and that was kind of weird at first but once you get used to it, it's really quite sweet the way "he" ties in with the main character. Loved it! My one quibble is that the cartoony little drawings and map of the neighborhood made the book seem like a much younger story than it really was. I thought that the content would be great for 6th graders and even 7th and 8th, but with those little-kid drawings it made it seem like a book for much younger kids. Admittedly, the main character tells her story in flashbacks from first grade and other childhood memories (she is a 12 year old 7th grader for most of the story), which might also make it seem like a younger story. But, when you get into the issues and themes of the book, they're really important for older kids as well as younger kids. So I would have liked to see an edition of this book that was made to look a little "older" to appeal to 6th and 7th graders, not just 3rd or 4th graders. (Although it's a really long book for a 4th grader to tackle, I think) But that's just my opinion, and it doesn't really matter if you are able to get the book into any young reader's hands.
June 23, 2016
Summary
A sprawling coming-of-age book about friendship, doing the right thing, and the slippery nature of time. Reminds me of books like Goodbye Stranger, All American Boys, and The Seventh Most Important Thing.
This story is broken into two parts: Now and Then. Then, Nella was friends with Angela DeMarco, who has a father suffering with PTSD and never seems to have any cash on her. Now, Nella has distanced herself from the hopelessly uncool Angela and has befriended the savvy Clem, whose parents work at the university and who lives in a renovated lofe.
A tragedy makes Nella rethink her avoidance of Angela, but is it too late to make up?
Review
I'm a softy for books that cover emotionally and socially challenging topics in a middle school-friendly format, as this book does. Readers are given uncomfortable truths about these characters and will realize that even well-intentioned teens and adults are capable of serious mistakes. Careful middle school readers will also notice the complexities of race and class in a community add a tension and depth to this story.
This book's major flaw is in its pacing. Springstubb asks us to track several stories at once, only getting to the part that's described in the inside cover halfway through the book In addition, an intentionally confusing prologue and alternating then/now chapters make the plot lines more difficult to track.
I wonder whether some middle school readers will lack the patience for this book's rewards.
A sprawling coming-of-age book about friendship, doing the right thing, and the slippery nature of time. Reminds me of books like Goodbye Stranger, All American Boys, and The Seventh Most Important Thing.
This story is broken into two parts: Now and Then. Then, Nella was friends with Angela DeMarco, who has a father suffering with PTSD and never seems to have any cash on her. Now, Nella has distanced herself from the hopelessly uncool Angela and has befriended the savvy Clem, whose parents work at the university and who lives in a renovated lofe.
A tragedy makes Nella rethink her avoidance of Angela, but is it too late to make up?
Review
I'm a softy for books that cover emotionally and socially challenging topics in a middle school-friendly format, as this book does. Readers are given uncomfortable truths about these characters and will realize that even well-intentioned teens and adults are capable of serious mistakes. Careful middle school readers will also notice the complexities of race and class in a community add a tension and depth to this story.
This book's major flaw is in its pacing. Springstubb asks us to track several stories at once, only getting to the part that's described in the inside cover halfway through the book In addition, an intentionally confusing prologue and alternating then/now chapters make the plot lines more difficult to track.
I wonder whether some middle school readers will lack the patience for this book's rewards.
November 14, 2016
Bravo for this empathetic story of middle school, friendship past and present, family, school, and neighborhood and community - in their close-knittedness and their insularity. Readers will experience, along with protagonist Nella (too-tall twelve-year-old and sister of too many younger brothers), how there really are different sides to every story, and more stories than one person knows, and how decisions made in a second have eternal consequences. Nella is trying to cope with the imminent closing of her beloved school and with navigating her fading feelings for her longtime best friend, and with her fascination with a new, nerdy, big-personality friend who is eager to celebrate the Leap Second (a real phenomenon: http://earthsky.org/human-world/leap-...), and with her cantankerous great-grandmother and her pesky brothers. And then, something big and terrible happens, and something else - and something else. It is possible that Springstubb has thrown too many plot points into this big-hearted book, but isn't inclusivity the essence of big-heartedness? One plot point that deserves special mention is a situation involving the shooting of an unarmed black man by a white man, which the author portrays appropriately to the audience, and honestly, if very much from the perspective of the white community that is impacted, and with the very few Black characters presented simplistically as all-good. It's a courageous effort to weave one of several huge, important, and enormously difficult issues into a pleasant novel for 5th-7th graders, and I can't fault the author that the issue is too huge and difficult to fit well. I hope this book sparks many, many conversations about how we can reach out across divides and learn to see (or at least respect) things from the other person's perspective.
July 29, 2016
I was pleased to win a copy of Every Single Second by Tricia Springstubb through the Goodreads Giveaways program. I stated reading the book as soon as I received it but had to put it aside for a bit before finishing it, not because I wasn't enjoying it but because I had to get my mind right to read it. Given the current political and racial climate in this country this book hit me hard right in the feels. I'm all for tackling tough subjects but I felt so emotionally raw and exposed while reading this book I had to take a step back. The author has offered up a realistic and touching account of how prejudice and fear shapes our belief system. Twelve year old Nella has attended St. Amphilbalus since kindergarten and is heartbroken to learn that the school will be closing at the end of the year. She is nervous about the upcoming school year because she's heard bad things about the school she is districted for which a large minority population. Nella has little contact with other races and her views have been shaped by preconceived notions. When several tragedies strike, Nella realizes she wants to make some changes in her life and learns that love can always triumph over fear. If our world can mirror the lessons learned by Nella and spread a little love it will most certainly be a better place. Read this book people you will not be disappointed!
August 18, 2016
EVERY SINGLE SECOND by Tricia Springstubb is a realistic fiction story examining the struggles of middle grade friends in an urban neighborhood.
This story of friendship and families tells the story of Nella, Clem, and Angela who are friends that attend Catholic school together. A school closing, accidental shooting, and medical crisis cause stress in both the families and the local community.
Librarians will find the themes of racial tensions, PSTD, and school closings to be very timely. Youth who enjoy contemporary fiction will enjoy the authentic family and neighborhood situations. The coming-of-age approach will appeal to a broad spectrum of students.
The author’s use of “now” and “then” chapters is an appealing literacy element, but requires readers to pay close attention to the narrative. The addition of the statue’s perspective provides an additional point for discussion for those who choose a “read-aloud” approach.
To learn more about the author, go to http://www.triciaspringstubb.com/.
Published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins on June 7, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
This story of friendship and families tells the story of Nella, Clem, and Angela who are friends that attend Catholic school together. A school closing, accidental shooting, and medical crisis cause stress in both the families and the local community.
Librarians will find the themes of racial tensions, PSTD, and school closings to be very timely. Youth who enjoy contemporary fiction will enjoy the authentic family and neighborhood situations. The coming-of-age approach will appeal to a broad spectrum of students.
The author’s use of “now” and “then” chapters is an appealing literacy element, but requires readers to pay close attention to the narrative. The addition of the statue’s perspective provides an additional point for discussion for those who choose a “read-aloud” approach.
To learn more about the author, go to http://www.triciaspringstubb.com/.
Published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins on June 7, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
September 19, 2016
I adored the tail end of this book. The beginning lagged and lagged for me and the flashbacks and forwards were quite difficult for me to track with (lots of re-reading for clarity!).
AND, it is an important book I'll be getting into the hands of my students. Middle grade readers will wrestle with many provocative themes as they journey into this community reacting to a tragic decision...the "invisible walls" that exist between people, and the reality that in life it is "harder to find your way past something you couldn't see;" the ebb and flow of treasured friendships, and the charge to value every second as important as another. This book also asks readers to wrestle with some big questions: does choosing one right thing make someone good? What does forgiveness really mean? How many times must we look at a person to understand his or her maddening and beautiful complexity.
3.5 stars!
AND, it is an important book I'll be getting into the hands of my students. Middle grade readers will wrestle with many provocative themes as they journey into this community reacting to a tragic decision...the "invisible walls" that exist between people, and the reality that in life it is "harder to find your way past something you couldn't see;" the ebb and flow of treasured friendships, and the charge to value every second as important as another. This book also asks readers to wrestle with some big questions: does choosing one right thing make someone good? What does forgiveness really mean? How many times must we look at a person to understand his or her maddening and beautiful complexity.
3.5 stars!
August 4, 2016
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion- thank you so much!
I don't usually read books that feature a child protagonist, but this book is definitely an exception!
It is well written and engaging and I could not put it down, and I read it well into the night to finish it. I found all the characters to be believable as well as a bit eccentric, as happens in real life.
The main character, twelve-year-old Nella, is dealing with many life-changing situations throughout her life, at school and with her dealings with her family and her friends. How she deals with these issues is the main focus of this story, and it also deals with racial divides in a small town, the steadfast love of your family, and a girl's awakening of her self and the world around her.
Recommended!
I don't usually read books that feature a child protagonist, but this book is definitely an exception!
It is well written and engaging and I could not put it down, and I read it well into the night to finish it. I found all the characters to be believable as well as a bit eccentric, as happens in real life.
The main character, twelve-year-old Nella, is dealing with many life-changing situations throughout her life, at school and with her dealings with her family and her friends. How she deals with these issues is the main focus of this story, and it also deals with racial divides in a small town, the steadfast love of your family, and a girl's awakening of her self and the world around her.
Recommended!
June 22, 2016
At first I thought the chapters from the statue's perspective and the storyline with the grandmother were not going to work for me, but it all came together so well. I liked the theme of redemption and the idea that moving forward matters. My one complaint would be that the accidental shooting of an innocent black man by an off-duty security guard was handled in a way that made me uncomfortable. It was almost as if the black character was killed to teach the white characters a lesson. I was not sure whether the author wanted me to draw a larger conclusion about these types of shootings, and the victim's family's response felt simplistic. Overall, I thought it was a charming and lovely book about being a friend and learning from mistakes but I do wish that one storyline had been handled differently.
August 9, 2018
Nella is caught between so many people in her life. Her childhood best friend, Angela, who lives with a PTSD father and Clem, her new and hip science geek BFF. Her grouchy great-grandmother who gripes at her during daily visits and her father whom that great-grandmother sacrificed everything for.
Angela's brother Anthony is involved in a community shooting that throws their community into a frenzy and reminds Nella's family of an accident that cost Nella's father his reputation and an innocent girl her life.
I liked this book because it makes different viewpoints of controversial issues very real. You don't know a person and their motivations until you REALLY know a person. The media and politics tell us how to feel.
Angela's brother Anthony is involved in a community shooting that throws their community into a frenzy and reminds Nella's family of an accident that cost Nella's father his reputation and an innocent girl her life.
I liked this book because it makes different viewpoints of controversial issues very real. You don't know a person and their motivations until you REALLY know a person. The media and politics tell us how to feel.
January 12, 2019
If I were to sum up what this book is about in one or two sentences I'd say it's about how the choices we make in one second can change our lives forever, but we can't let one second define our whole world view.
This story gently addresses a lot of themes and issues: friendship, family, community, kindness, love, God, free will vs fate, time, acceptance, courage, grudges, forgiveness, isolation, abuse, neglect, social class, heritage, racism, gun safety, PTSD, and media portrayals. This middle grade novel has an overall very thoughtful and important message; however, I think the story is a little too complicated, and the pace may not hold most middle grade readers' attention.
This story gently addresses a lot of themes and issues: friendship, family, community, kindness, love, God, free will vs fate, time, acceptance, courage, grudges, forgiveness, isolation, abuse, neglect, social class, heritage, racism, gun safety, PTSD, and media portrayals. This middle grade novel has an overall very thoughtful and important message; however, I think the story is a little too complicated, and the pace may not hold most middle grade readers' attention.
July 18, 2016
I didn't realize that Tricia Springstubb was from here in NE Ohio. She lives in Cleveland Heights, on the East Side of Cleveland. The setting for this book is Little Italy. The topic is "torn from the headlines." Sadly it keeps happening over and over again: events where a single second changes lives forever. There is a lot of insight and growth in this book. There are a lot of topics tucked into this book: the changing face of friendship in the middle school years, family relationships, the after-effects of war, and the damage and the healing that can occur in a split second.
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July 6, 2016Powerful novel dealing with an officer-involved shooting (very appropriate timing, given recent events). But it's also about friendship (new friends and outgrowing old friends) and family. So basically it's about life.
May 1, 2016
Reviewed for May/June Horn Book.
February 20, 2016
Springstubb takes on big issues and big questions in this middle grade novel. This book will start some important conversations with upper middle grade readers.
May 11, 2020
"When you choose one thing, you dis-choose a gazillion others. Making a choice isn't the powerful part. Having a choice is."
July 17, 2017
“…That’s the thing with time. It keeps happening.”
Middle-grade fiction is home to some beautiful books. The ones that tackle their themes with wit and gravity, the ones that leave me goosebumped and grinning, even the ones that are so friggin’ insightful for a sentence or a paragraph or a page that I have to put the book down and steep in the words for a second.
Every Single Second tried to make its home in the neighbourhood of beautiful middle-grade fiction. It painted all its shutters, put up all its pennants… hell, it practically dug a lot for itself in the middle of the street. But ultimately, the operation was a flop.
This book was like that everything-drawer in your house, the one that’s so stuffed you have to wrestle it shut every time. PTSD, drunk driving, racism, abuse, the media…It felt directionless. And what’s more, it failed to fully flesh out any of these themes, which among other things made the book sound apologist toward white shooters.
Case in point: We got plenty of badmouthing about our victim, a young black man who sought help after a car accident. The white residents of Nella’s neighbourhood speculated that he was a drunk, a threat, a philanderer for being an unmarried father. The media, who presented the shooter as the one at fault, was portrayed as nonsensical and nasty. Those who sided with the victim were seen as uncompromising. Non-whites were called Invaders, Gypsies, up until the very end of the book. Never is any of this redacted or reprimanded!
Meanwhile, Anthony, the shooter, was presented as a devoted older brother and son. There was imagery comparing him with an angel. A bail fund was set up for him in a local shop. I mean, for God’s sake, the book tried to justify his shooting of D’Lon with a mental health shtick:
”He heard the baby crying and Mrs. Manzini sceaming and… and he lost it. He said it was like somebody else took over, and all he could think was he had to save them…”
I understand what Springstubb was trying to do. Morality is grey, a fact that’s difficult to come to terms with at any age, and what better way to demonstrate this than through the current sociopolitical issues? But there was a disparity in the amount of sympathy wrung out for the shooter versus the victim, and the level of tact just wasn’t up to par.
But problematic parts aside…
Our protagonist, Nella, was a brat—the sort of person who found something to complain about in everything and everyone. She referred to her brothers as idiots and nothing else. (Mostly, I wasn’t even sure who she was talking about—how did these Neanderthals, or barbarians, or abominations get into the chapter?) And at times, she leapt to giant, sweeping conclusions out of nothing. She felt more like the caricature of a Tumblr post than a real character.
Not to mention the tortured comparisons and stiff, clumsy language that felt like attempts at making the book quotable. For example:
Nella stared at Clem’s digital clock. The red numbers stayed the same, stayed the same. In this room, time had died.
She smelled like grapefruit, a smell that was nice but also a little dangerous.
One afternoon that spring, Nella sat at the kitchen table watching Mom cut up apples. One second they were whole, and the next they were pieces that could never be put back together.
That spring, the whole world felt like that.
Her hair was like this part of the cemetery—wild, uncared for. Lonesome. Lonesome hair.
But I had the biggest bone to pick with the Jeptha A. Stone chapters, which were unnecessary and seemed like a way for Springstubb to inject fancy, five-dollar words into her novel. Don’t get me wrong—one of my favourite things is when middle-grade fiction doesn’t talk down to its readers and uses vocabulary they might not encounter elsewhere. But that isn’t the same as replacing every word in your sentence with a larger, thesaurus-powered word.
Hark unto me, Jess. Every Single Second was unendurable.
(Oh, you thought that was awkward? Just wait until you read this book.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2016
Truth be told, I should have read this one from start to finish; but life got in the way. Moving and school beginning blocked my memory about the beginning of this one. I rated it a four star but later changed it to five. With that being said, this is a challenging book for its intended audience due to the time shifts, the true-to-life events and the faith-infused beliefs planted subtly and not-so-subtly within its pages. These are all reasons why middle grade readers must read it. Stripped from today's headlines of young black men being shot down, Every Single Second reminds us to make every second count-even the extra one that is given to us every so often. This is the story of family, sometimes broken but always what makes us who we are. It's the story about bigotry and acceptance. It's the story of growing up and trying out burgeoning wings. It's the story of acceptance and friendship and remembering what is truly important. Highly recommended!
*Just because you did one right thing, did it mean you were good?
And if that was true, did doing one wrong thing mean you were bad?
Third grade was when Nella started asking questions like that. At school, her teachers still knew all the answers. But at night, in bed, Nella got confused. It was like another girl had come to live inside her.
*The past was the past. Except maybe not.
*Too late. Those were the ugliest words. The cruelest words. Time's worst trick of all.
*Just because you do something good doesn't mean you get a reward...Yes it does! Good people win and bad people lose. Not always.
*Sister Rosa told me the reason God made so many people is so we can help each other.
*Maybe that was why, she thought suddenly. Maybe her parents had so many kids because they knew, knew so well, how fragile life could be.
*People only become more themselves as they age.
*Too late. Years later, Nella would decide these were life's cruelest words.
*Death is the flip side of life...it's a natural part of the cycle.
*For the living to be haunted, all that is required is a memory.
*Sometimes the Lord tests us. He wants to see what we're made of...His will be done.
*They've proven it's true-people really can die of a broken heart.
*One afternoon that spring, Nella sat at the kitchen table watching Mom cut up apples. One second they were whole, and the next they were pieces that could never be put back together.
That spring, the whole world felt like that.
*...the true test is not what we choose for ourselves. It is how we deal with what life chooses for us.
*Sometimes I'm glad I'm old...being young is so much work.
*Nella remembered what he said about Vinny. Words don't matter. But he was wrong. Without words, you were only partly connected. Too much had to stay locked inside.
*Remember, Nella. We need one another almost as much as we need God. Why else do you think He made so many of us?
*Just because you did one right thing, did it mean you were good?
And if that was true, did doing one wrong thing mean you were bad?
Third grade was when Nella started asking questions like that. At school, her teachers still knew all the answers. But at night, in bed, Nella got confused. It was like another girl had come to live inside her.
*The past was the past. Except maybe not.
*Too late. Those were the ugliest words. The cruelest words. Time's worst trick of all.
*Just because you do something good doesn't mean you get a reward...Yes it does! Good people win and bad people lose. Not always.
*Sister Rosa told me the reason God made so many people is so we can help each other.
*Maybe that was why, she thought suddenly. Maybe her parents had so many kids because they knew, knew so well, how fragile life could be.
*People only become more themselves as they age.
*Too late. Years later, Nella would decide these were life's cruelest words.
*Death is the flip side of life...it's a natural part of the cycle.
*For the living to be haunted, all that is required is a memory.
*Sometimes the Lord tests us. He wants to see what we're made of...His will be done.
*They've proven it's true-people really can die of a broken heart.
*One afternoon that spring, Nella sat at the kitchen table watching Mom cut up apples. One second they were whole, and the next they were pieces that could never be put back together.
That spring, the whole world felt like that.
*...the true test is not what we choose for ourselves. It is how we deal with what life chooses for us.
*Sometimes I'm glad I'm old...being young is so much work.
*Nella remembered what he said about Vinny. Words don't matter. But he was wrong. Without words, you were only partly connected. Too much had to stay locked inside.
*Remember, Nella. We need one another almost as much as we need God. Why else do you think He made so many of us?
January 26, 2019
“If only you could store up happiness, Nella would think years later. Dig a happiness hole, or keep a happiness piggy bank, saving up for when you ran out.”
Nella and Angela have been friends since the first day of kindergarten when Anthony, Angela’s older brother, tied Nella’s shoes for her. Since that day, she’s always thought of Anthony has her prince and Nella as her secret sister. How could Nella predict what would eventually happen to all of them?
They live in a neighborhood where there are old ideas, ideas about us and them. Even Nella’s Nonni calls those new people who move into their community invaders and gypsies. One of those new people is Clem, a girl whose parents are both professors at the nearby university. Clem is very different from Angela and Nella finds herself drawn to this new friend. Especially after Angela’s mother leaves the family. Something changes in both Angela and Anthony after that. It seems almost like a wall has gone up that makes them much harder to reach. Clem’s friendship is so much easier.
When the unthinkable happens and Anthony is involved in the shooting of an African American young man, the neighborhood begins to fall apart, as well as families and friendships. Everyone takes sides, even before they hear the whole story. Nella can’t believe that her prince would be involved. How could this gentle soul even think about carrying a gun? Nella begins to realize that she maybe didn’t ever know what Angela was going through. “All this time I was sure I was stronger than Angela. But maybe, maybe I was just safer.”
Nella desperately wants to help Angela, but isn’t sure how to go about it. Angela is angry and “Once Angela made her mind up about something, she wouldn't budge. It drove Nella crazy. (Years later, it would make all the difference.)”
This is a complex novel with many ideas worth discussing. This summary doesn’t really do it justice. The story is told in alternating timeframes, moving back and forth between the past and the present. You know at the very beginning of the book that something terrible has happened, but the story unfolds slowly as you get to know the background of the characters and the neighborhood. Themes of forgiveness, intolerance, friendship, and faith are explored. There are no easy answers. “The true test is not what we choose for ourselves. It is how we deal with what life chooses for us.”
Nella and Angela have been friends since the first day of kindergarten when Anthony, Angela’s older brother, tied Nella’s shoes for her. Since that day, she’s always thought of Anthony has her prince and Nella as her secret sister. How could Nella predict what would eventually happen to all of them?
They live in a neighborhood where there are old ideas, ideas about us and them. Even Nella’s Nonni calls those new people who move into their community invaders and gypsies. One of those new people is Clem, a girl whose parents are both professors at the nearby university. Clem is very different from Angela and Nella finds herself drawn to this new friend. Especially after Angela’s mother leaves the family. Something changes in both Angela and Anthony after that. It seems almost like a wall has gone up that makes them much harder to reach. Clem’s friendship is so much easier.
When the unthinkable happens and Anthony is involved in the shooting of an African American young man, the neighborhood begins to fall apart, as well as families and friendships. Everyone takes sides, even before they hear the whole story. Nella can’t believe that her prince would be involved. How could this gentle soul even think about carrying a gun? Nella begins to realize that she maybe didn’t ever know what Angela was going through. “All this time I was sure I was stronger than Angela. But maybe, maybe I was just safer.”
Nella desperately wants to help Angela, but isn’t sure how to go about it. Angela is angry and “Once Angela made her mind up about something, she wouldn't budge. It drove Nella crazy. (Years later, it would make all the difference.)”
This is a complex novel with many ideas worth discussing. This summary doesn’t really do it justice. The story is told in alternating timeframes, moving back and forth between the past and the present. You know at the very beginning of the book that something terrible has happened, but the story unfolds slowly as you get to know the background of the characters and the neighborhood. Themes of forgiveness, intolerance, friendship, and faith are explored. There are no easy answers. “The true test is not what we choose for ourselves. It is how we deal with what life chooses for us.”
August 6, 2018
This was a weird read.
The author wanted to tackle about 57 different topics—the awkwardness of shifting friendships, the temptation to ditch people when their problems get too difficult, race relations, cycles of family violence, the need to "soften" and accept help and community from others, dealing with change, , the importance of seemingly tiny actions, parental guilt and dishonesty, alcoholism, gun violence, forgiveness, grandparents and health decline, the list just goes on and on and on.
The items on that list that WERE done well were done really well. Nella's friendships with Clem and Angela were distinct, vivid, and moving. Nella was a believable, compelling narrator who made lots of mistakes but never crossed the line into being unlikeable. The themes of guilt/shame and being unsure how to relate to a friend whose life (especially family) are just objectively a lot worse than yours were handled excellently. If she'd stuck with that, this would have been a great read!
But then the author just kind of chucked in a bunch of other stuff so that most of it never got the page space it would have needed to unfold in a satisfying way. There's a subplot about a black man being shot by a white man, and the story simply doesn't have the time to unpack that situation. We get a feel-good moment at the end where the protagonist gives money to the victim's family and gets to make a speech on TV about how we have to "let things like this change us," but it's not super clear what kind of tangible change we're talking about. Is the message to just not be racist? Because the killer also wasn't racist in any overt sense, just traumatized and quite possibly falling prey so subconscious biases, so I guess we need to combat our own subconscious biases by......giving money......to grieving families? Or something? The whole thing was just so uncomfortable. I have no problem with the humanization of the shooter, or of the discussion about how cycles of violence can perpetuate terrible mistakes in good, kind people, but I was pretty squirmy about the whole assuaging-of-white-guilt feeling surrounding the entire conclusion. Also the freaking statue was so on-the-nose that it felt like the author didn't trust me to understand her story without overwrought "heart of stone" metaphors.
The author wanted to tackle about 57 different topics—the awkwardness of shifting friendships, the temptation to ditch people when their problems get too difficult, race relations, cycles of family violence, the need to "soften" and accept help and community from others, dealing with change, , the importance of seemingly tiny actions, parental guilt and dishonesty, alcoholism, gun violence, forgiveness, grandparents and health decline, the list just goes on and on and on.
The items on that list that WERE done well were done really well. Nella's friendships with Clem and Angela were distinct, vivid, and moving. Nella was a believable, compelling narrator who made lots of mistakes but never crossed the line into being unlikeable. The themes of guilt/shame and being unsure how to relate to a friend whose life (especially family) are just objectively a lot worse than yours were handled excellently. If she'd stuck with that, this would have been a great read!
But then the author just kind of chucked in a bunch of other stuff so that most of it never got the page space it would have needed to unfold in a satisfying way. There's a subplot about a black man being shot by a white man, and the story simply doesn't have the time to unpack that situation. We get a feel-good moment at the end where the protagonist gives money to the victim's family and gets to make a speech on TV about how we have to "let things like this change us," but it's not super clear what kind of tangible change we're talking about. Is the message to just not be racist? Because the killer also wasn't racist in any overt sense, just traumatized and quite possibly falling prey so subconscious biases, so I guess we need to combat our own subconscious biases by......giving money......to grieving families? Or something? The whole thing was just so uncomfortable. I have no problem with the humanization of the shooter, or of the discussion about how cycles of violence can perpetuate terrible mistakes in good, kind people, but I was pretty squirmy about the whole assuaging-of-white-guilt feeling surrounding the entire conclusion. Also the freaking statue was so on-the-nose that it felt like the author didn't trust me to understand her story without overwrought "heart of stone" metaphors.
December 19, 2016
Change is afoot for Nella Sabatini and her Italian-American neighborhood. Angela, the friend Nella used to consider a sister, has become consumed by family difficulties caused by her father's PTSD, leaving Nella to spend more time with a new friend named Clem. Nella's own father has been hiding a secret for Nella's entire life, and when Nella discovers the truth, she has trouble looking at him in the same way. Meanwhile, Nella's beloved school, St. Amphibalus, is about to shut down, leaving its students scrambling to figure out where they will attend next year. Worst of all, Angela's brother, Anthony, whom Nella has idolized her whole life has committed a deadly crime, resulting in the death of a young black man and a rise in racial tensions.
As she does in her other books (especially the Fox Street and Cody titles), Springstubb creates a believable and instantly appealing neighborhood in this latest novel, and she populates it with very real people whose secret sadnesses elicit instant sympathy from the reader. Though I wasn't crazy about the structure (switching back and forth in time, and including the internal monologue of a grave in the cemetery), the writing is, as always, gorgeous. There are many wonderfully insightful one-liners throughout the text, and vivid descriptions of places Nella visits, especially the cemetery, bring the landscape of her community fully to life. I also could not be more grateful to Springstubb for her authentic, factually correct, and overall positive portrayal of Catholic schools, practicing Catholic families, and nuns. In Nella, she has created a character who not only goes through the Catholic motions, but also observes her world, and speaks about it, from a Catholic worldview, which is both rare and refreshing.
As she does in her other books (especially the Fox Street and Cody titles), Springstubb creates a believable and instantly appealing neighborhood in this latest novel, and she populates it with very real people whose secret sadnesses elicit instant sympathy from the reader. Though I wasn't crazy about the structure (switching back and forth in time, and including the internal monologue of a grave in the cemetery), the writing is, as always, gorgeous. There are many wonderfully insightful one-liners throughout the text, and vivid descriptions of places Nella visits, especially the cemetery, bring the landscape of her community fully to life. I also could not be more grateful to Springstubb for her authentic, factually correct, and overall positive portrayal of Catholic schools, practicing Catholic families, and nuns. In Nella, she has created a character who not only goes through the Catholic motions, but also observes her world, and speaks about it, from a Catholic worldview, which is both rare and refreshing.
November 21, 2016
This was a brave book to write, tackling the difficult topic of racism generally, and the shooting of a black young man by a white young man in particular. I thought the book, overall, was excellent. The concept of time is explored in a number of fascinating ways, including through the extremely non chronological movement of the story (which I thought the author handled well, but might still be difficult for struggling readers to follow). But when you're telling a story, you're telling about one specific story, not about a trend. I had to remind myself of that numerous times, because the reasons that so many black men die at the hands of white men with guns weren't necessarily reflected in the reason why the particular black man died at the hands of the particular white man in Sprinstaub's story. Springstaub created a narrative that made both sides practically equally sympathetic, which is rarely the case in real life (although certainly possible). Part of me wished she had poked a little harder at the strong racist attitudes that often come into play in such shootings. She did not ignore the possibility that racism played into the shooting, but she certainly made Anthony's actions seem understandable, even defensible. Although this made sense in the context of the book, I felt just a little uncomfortable with this in the context of our world today. Still, I thought the book was excellent; well-written and interesting, and it does offer examples of self-examination.
August 9, 2016
Nella Sabatini is overwhelmed with the changes she is facing. Her tight-knit Italian neighborhood is becoming gentrified with wealthy families who don't associate with the long time families. Her small private school is closing, so she will be going to the huge public school. Her long time best friend, Angela, has been acting weird, so Nella abandoned her for a new, very cool friend, who doesn't act like a friend. And her grandmother is getting more confused and more angry. Then a horrific tragedy involving Angela's brother tears the whole community apart. Nella's father and mother become despondent. Her grandmother is uncontrollably agitated. People in the neighborhood are whispering behind Nella's back. Angela's family is being harassed and persecuted. Every Single Second is an outstanding book that in a compelling and heartfelt way illustrates how a few seconds can send lives spiraling out of control. In a sensitive, age appropriate way, it illustrates how racism is never far from the surface. It also heartbreakingly shows how post traumatic stress and remorse cut people off from love and forgiveness. At the young age of 12, Nella realizes her family has been hiding from the past, and she must step up and speak out to set their lives on a better path. Every Single Second is an outstanding, memorable story.
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