Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened by Emily Blejwas

Synopsis:

A poignant story of a boy picking up the pieces of his life after the unexpected death of his father, and the loyalty, concern, and friendship he finds in his small-town community.

Justin doesn't know anything these days. Like how to walk down the halls without getting stared at. Or what to say to Jenni. Or how Phuc is already a physics genius in seventh grade. Or why Benny H. wanders around Wicapi talking to old ghosts. He doesn't know why his mom suddenly loves church or if his older brother, Murphy, will ever play baseball again. Or if the North Stars have a shot at the playoffs. Justin doesn't know how people can act like everything's fine when it's so obviously not. And most of all, he doesn't know what really happened the night his dad died on the train tracks.

And that sucks.

But life goes on. And as it does, Justin discovers that some things are just unknowable. He learns that time and space and memory are grander and weirder than he ever thought, and that small moments can hold big things, if you're paying attention. Just like his math teacher said, even when you think you have all the information, there will be more. There is always more.

Set during the Gulf War era, Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened is a story about learning to go on after loss, told with a warmth that could thaw the coldest Minnesota lake. 

My thoughts:

This contemporary middle grade follows Justin, who has just survived some major life changes. His father died in a public train accident, and his mom and older brother are trying to keep the family afloat financially. Justin wants to figure out what really happened to his dad - was it truly an accident, or did he commit suicide?

Justin decides that he will never get the chance to truly know his dad, who suffered from PTSD and alcoholism after the Vietnam War. But little miracles happen to bring him closer to his existing family (and through them, to the memory of his father), and Justin develops special friendships at school. Justin, his mom, and his brother were all wonderful, three-dimensional characters. I also found the ending of this novel particularly poignant. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. 

Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened will be available April 14, 2020 from Delacorte Press.