But I was able to put a clear picture in my head even if the free verse lacked details. Yes, he could have more characteristics explained such as his language and looks. Maybe Kek is too nice and positive for some readers. And you don't kill the leader if you disagree with him." While some readers might see this as unalloyed enthusiasm for America, it was something I heard many times from the refugees. Many times they said, "You have many tribes but you get along. When working with the Sudanese students at our school, that was the one thing they marveled at the most. What I particular liked was how the author has Kek think about how there are many tribes in America and that they live side-by-side without fear. But that's really minor and I only know this because I spent 40 years living in this state. Some observers would have thought it funny. Yes, people would have honked and some annoyed, but I can guarantee at least one person would have stepped out of their car to help some kids with a stubborn cow in the middle of a busy intersection.
Minnesotans are overly polite in their cars and helpful. Such as when the cow stops traffic and everyone in the cars are mad. Some things did not always seem spot-on for me, but other things did. You'll have to read it yourself to decide. Perhaps Kek's school interactions might be showing too much how people should act toward immigrants versus what Kek was really going through. I thought the criticism somewhat harsh and not as extreme as the reviewer felt. I agree that Kek might lack some authenticity and there are didactic moments, but I did like how the author has him deal with grief and life in a new land. I didn't notice this when reading the book, but that could be because I have worked with Sudanese boys and my brain already knows about their culture and plight. There is a Kirkus review that criticizes this book for Kek's character being stereotyped and not fleshed out enough. When he gets a job helping on a farm, it reminds him of back home when he helped take care of the village cattle. Humor is balanced with tragedy through the eyes of Kek, who tries to see the good in life. To desperately long to return to what is comfortable and familiar. Kek thinks Dave's partial use of Dinka and English sounds like ".a song always out of tune, / missing notes / To help him, / I try some English / but my mouth just wants to chew the words / and spit them on the ground." She captures what it is like to be new to a country. Dave is a an American helping Kek, a Sudanese refugee, settle in Minnesota with his cousin and aunt. Katherine Applegate puts words together creating beautiful images.
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