“In life,” he says, “we have moments of truth, where everything is on the line. And when these moments happen, we never have cheat sheets. We only have our instincts and the skills we’ve developed over the years.”
Don’t let yourself be fooled by the bright cover; this is one dark story. Seventh grade isn’t going too well for Will – bullied for his nonexistent chin and called Turtle Boy (which is kind of ironic because Will happens to love turtles) at school, Will also faces a surgery to combat his micrognathia.
The only thing? Will is terrified of hospitals ever since his father died during a routine surgery when Will was only four years old. In an attempt to help Will lose his fear of hospitals, his mother and his Rabbi decide to make him visit a teenager at the hospital, RJ, as part of his community service project that he needs to complete before his Bar Mitzvah. RJ has a mitochondrial disease, has been cooped up at the hospital for ages, and doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to volunteers spending time with him. Actually, he loves to drive them away within the first hour. But RJ is dying and Will may be his last chance to finish all the things on his bucket list before he is gone… Though the boys don’t get along at the beginning and snap at each other quite like turtles do when they feel a stranger invading their territory, their friendship blossoms as RJ helps Will come out of his shell.
There’s a certain magic to middle-grade novels, the way they approach topics that feel insurmountable – and Turtle Boy does this with a big one.
This book tackles grief and the many instances in which it presents itself – it isn’t always crying in secret or avoiding the topic of the loss. Sometimes it’s drumming your heart out, realising you won’t ever leave the hospital. Sometimes it’s letting go of the turtles that have been your only friends because they deserve their freedom. And sometimes, it’s getting that surgery despite your fear of what might happen when you’re in that operating room. This book screams at you to face your fears because the things you will regret most are those you didn’t do. I loved how Wolkenstein managed to present grief in an accessible and almost hopeful manner, reminding readers that though there are hardships in life, there are always going to be people you can count on. Will and his mother experience grief very differently and that makes it hard for the both of them to communicate sometimes. They fight about the little stuff to avoid talking about the bigger issues – a trait Will has definitely inherited since he tends to do the same with his friends Shirah and Max.
Paired with grief, this story also shows what it means to be brave. Will deals with a lot of bullying and self-doubts and can’t seem to get out of his shell even when his friends and Rabbi ask him to. It takes RJ and his no-nonsense attitude for Will to realise how much he has to live for – and that he has to do his best and give life his all.
Beyond the main plot, there are a few special things that make this story fit seamlessly together: one is the devotion and passion Will has for turtles and their safety, especially when their home is being invaded by bulldozers. Will has trouble standing up for himself but he has no qualms making his voice heard when it comes to protecting what he cares about. The other highlight of the story is how much there is to learn about Jewish practices. The inclusion of this cultural heritage and how Will feels about these traditions was such a lovely addition to his journey and let me learn a thing or two myself.
Though there is heartbreak between these pages, there is also hope. At the end of it all, Turtle Boy is about friendship, the ones we don’t see, the ones we should treasure and the ones that will change us irreversibly. A wholesome blend of humour and grief, Will’s story will appeal to younger and older readers alike. A beautiful debut that wears its heart on its sleeve.
Turtle Boy is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of May 5th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
This middle-grade debut, which will surely appeal to fans of Wonder, explores self-image, friendship, and grief, while highlighting the importance of taking chances. It will make you laugh and cry, and you will be eager to share it with someone you love.
“A story about what it means to be brave when all you want to do is hide in your shell.
Everyone deserves a friend like Will Levine.” —Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale
Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. His science teacher finds out about the turtles he spent his summer collecting from the marsh behind school and orders him to release them back into the wild. And for his bar mitzvah community service project, he has to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. Unfortunately, Will hates hospitals.
At first, the boys don’t get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster, go to a concert and a school dance, and swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with his turtles. But as RJ’s disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend’s behalf before it’s too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will’s comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ’s guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell.
