Review: "Hello, Universe," by Erin Entrada Kelly

Virgil is the quietest 11-year-old around. Not to be confused with being dumb, he just chooses not to speak up. He's beyond shy, so having a friend like Kaori Tanaka helps him have a bit of a voice. Kaori loves to tell fortunes and use nature to foretell what is bothering people. Valencia Somerset, a hearing-impaired girl, goes to Kaori to ask advice but finds her on a day where Virgil has missed his appointment and is presumed missing. Little do they know, Virgil met up with Chet, the biggest bully in the neighborhood, on his way to Kaori's house. Chet strips Virgil of his backpack and throws it down a well, laughing the whole time. Virgil doesn't have a choice! He has to go down into the well to get his backpack because his cherished guinea pig was in there! Now it's up to Kaori and Valencia to track Virgil down and save him before it's too late. I really enjoyed this audio book and thought the narrators did a great job. My only issue with this book was how awful Chet was and that there didn't seem to be a redemption for that.

Mrs. Denney's Rating: ***1/2

#review #friendship #awardwinner #disability #diversity