Critique

Woodson, as always, delivers a profound story in a short and beautiful way. She has this talent of keeping you interested in the story itself while showing you the light and dark sides of life that many people face on a regular basis. All of the characters seem real, and you come to love them throughout the narrative, especially D, who is often so mysterious in one moment and deeply candid in the next that you feel both intimidated and comforted by her presence simultaneously. 

Also, as always, Woodson integrates challenging subplots, like Neeka’s older brother, a young gay man who’s been wrongfully imprisoned, young Black men disappearing off the street and in jail for what seems like no reason, and the despair surrounding the death of Tupac. It wasn’t until after having read this book that I truly understood even a small portion of the gravity of Tupac’s life and what he represented to the African American community at large (a little personal thanks to Woodson for touching on that theme).

In many ways, Woodson seems to be a YA Lit representation of Toni Morrison or Alice Walker. It’s not surprising that she keeps winning awards for her texts. They’re the perfect balance of engaging and enlightening with a unique voice and excellent literary quality. I recommend this book to readers 12+.

Critique

It’s not surprising that the Surrender Tree won so many awards, including a Newbery Honor. The language is beautiful, and the story itself is one that is not often told. Especially for an American audience, this text reveals a new type of Cuba that predates the Communist revolution that sparked an arms race during the Kennedy presidency. This is a Cuba much like the early America or Jamaica—a country of people who want to have their own independence, who want to live freely as one people, no slavery, all equals.

It’s interesting to see the story from so many perspectives, and I think that Engle adroitly switches through the first person narratives with ease. Often writers will struggle to create variance in the voices and speech patterns of their characters, but each of the four sounds different from each other, not only in style and rhythm, but also in their character—hopes, dreams, loves, actions, driving forces. I read it twice, and I would recommend it to all readers.