Having a little experience myself with this type of encompassing grief, Treichel’s fictionalized representation rings true while also providing a spark of hope.Įliot Treichel’s A Series of Small Maneuvers is a sharply observed and compassionate study of grief. Treichel offers no easy answers, but guides the reader through Emma’s and her family’s struggle to heal while not letting go of the person they love. Amidst this natural teen turmoil, on a remote camping trip that is something of punishment while also illustrating how much Emma has learned from her dad despite her best efforts, he is killed in a hiking accident.Įmma’s physical and emotional journey hits on the intangible quality of grief, and her struggles to reconcile her conflicted images of and relationship with her father after his passing are heartbreaking.
Emma is torn between the girlishness of her friends and the outdoors aesthetic of her dad, a lifelong hiker and kayaker meanwhile, she’s drawn to her mom’s former hobby of horseback riding, which her dad doesn’t understand but bemusedly allows.
Treichel captures the experiences of a teenage girl who’s struggling to define herself and her identity. This book will make you cry in the most cathartic way. I, however, found little to complain about, and this is a book I would highly recommend. Despite the drama of the events depicted, this is not a particularly exciting or plot-driven book, so it might seem lacking to some readers. Other than that, I would say the side characters seemed underdeveloped, though that didn't affect my overall enjoyment much. However, I think this is a very purposeful choice, as it reflects the real-life experience of grief. My biggest complaint is that there isn't a strong resolution to the story.
Treichel dispenses with all of that, leaving behind a story which is heart-breaking and authentic. Even the best YA can sometimes feel cliché, preachy, and unnatural, as though the experiences of the characters exist only to make grand statements about the nature of life and experience. Not only were the descriptions of the world clear and beautifully written, but the emotions, thoughts, and actions of the main characters had zero artificiality.
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