The Deepest Roots

July 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-All girls born in Cottonwood Hollow, KS, are affected by the curse of Emmeline Remington-whose husband left her for another woman-and are endowed with a special talent. Rome's mother moved to town at 17, unwed and pregnant. Now Rome is 17, and they can barely afford to live in their dilapidated trailer. Her Fixer ability is useful at home and in her part-time job as an auto mechanic, but it can't help pay the rent. Mercy is an Enough, which means she can produce just the right amount of anything-food, money, gas, etc.-to live comfortably. Lux is a Siren who can attract any man, but she's only interested in women. After a tornado hits, the girls find Emmeline's diary, which hints of a treasure. If they can get it, then Rome will be able to keep a roof over her family's head, and Lux and her mom can finally afford to leave her abusive stepfather. But secrets among the girls strain their comradery, and a corrupt landlord is also after the treasure. Asebedo's main characters are engaging with believable motivations. Secondary romantic plots involving Rome and a rich boy at school, Lux and her girlfriend, and Rome's mother and employer round out the cast and add depth. VERDICT An enjoyable general purchase for fans of magical realism, mystery, and stories of friendship.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
Debut novelist Asebedo creates a broken world in need of a Fixer in rural Kansas, where the women are deemed cursed and unscrupulous men take advantage.Like all women born in Cottonwood Hollow, Rome and her best friends, blonde lesbian Lux and Latina Mercy, were born with unique gifts. Said to have been caused by the jilted wife of an early settler, for most the gifts have come to be seen as a curse. "I'm supposed to be a Fixer, but it seems like everything I touch lately breaks to pieces," laments white protagonist Rome. When Rome and her single mom face possible eviction from their small trailer and Lux faces abuse at home, a mysterious diary that leads to an equally mysterious treasure seems to be the answer for their problems. The girls soon discover that the true treasure is not the long-lost item the diary points them to but their relationships with one another and the women who came before them. Along the way they also learn that their curses may in fact be blessings in disguise. The plot is enjoyable on a purely surface level, but there is also an intriguing feminist message ripe for discussion among thoughtful readers. While the women of Cottonwood Hollow have amplified gifts, readers will likely see similar gifting at work among the many amazing women in their own lives.A heartwarming story of intergenerational sisterhood. (Magical realism. 14-18)

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Starred review from August 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Cottonwood Hollow is a town that faces today's challenges with one added benefit: the women are blessed?or cursed?with gifts (Fixers, Healers, Finders, Sirens, and more). Rome, a Fixer, has always been able to fix things, but that doesn't quite pay the bills. After a tornado unearths a box with a diary from the original Cottonwood woman, Emmeline Remington, Rome and her two best friends, Mercy and Lux, set to decoding the contents in hopes of finding the mentioned treasures. In doing so, they discover the strength of their friendship, which is tested by secrets they keep from one another out of worry, embarrassment, or misguided fear. One of these secrets leads to a climactic end, just maybe featuring the ghost of Emmeline Remington herself. ?Asebedo bestows Rome with an honest voice that shows the developing maturity of a teen helping her family survive economic struggles. The bond among the three girls is genuine and relatable, and is depicted with surprising honesty. Though filled with elements of fantasy, Asebedo's debut novel is a must-read for older fans of friendship-based books like those in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Readers will be surprised and delighted by the characters, mysteries, and themes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Rome, a (supernaturally) gifted mechanic in Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas, trades her car to her vile landlord for rent when her mom loses her job. A diary sends Rome and similarly gifted friends Lux and Mercy in search of treasure, but the pioneering ancestress who buried it may have blessed their friendship as the better asset. Threads of romance, poverty, and the supernatural combine for a satisfying Midwestern ghost story.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)