Tricia Springstubb's EVERY SINGLE SECOND: Highlights-Style Review and Giveaway

Hi All!

I've been a fan of Tricia Springstubb's for quite some time, and recently I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC of her upcoming book, EVERY SINGLE SECOND. All I can say is, wow...it's Impressive with a Capital I. Oh wait, that's not all I can say! I can say a whole ton, actually, but I'll try to keep it succinct.

So this is a new idea~  instead of a lengthy review (which I could definitely provide~ this novel has so much to applaud), I'm going to tell you seven things that I think are especially admirable in Tricia Springstubb's latest middle grade novel (and if you need more than one opinion, click on this STARRED review in Publishers Weekly)

HIGHLIGHTS OF EVERY SINGLE SECOND: Heart, Conflict, Tension, Relationships, Authenticity, Voice, Framing/Structure

There you go, folks! This one should definitely go on your MUST-READ lists! A summary of the story is below~ just LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE ENTERED TO WIN MY ADVANCED COPY (winner picked on 4/20/16) UPDATE: Via Random.org, the winner is ... Joanne Fritz! Congratulations, Joanne, please email me your address or DM me on Twitter (handle @JS_Lawson) and I'll get that book shipped to you!

SUMMARY:

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.