Hello?

by Liza M Wiemer

[e_rodz_leb]

As I said above, I know Liza. It is always nerve-wracking to read a book by someone you personally know, but other trusted bloggers also loved Hello? and so I was eager to find out what all the fuzz was about. This book deserves all the hype and then some. Its original storytelling and the way the characters’ lives are intertwined with each other was intricate, well thought out and SO GOOD.

The story is told from five points of view and in a few different formats. Let’s explore them now:

Tricia (narration) – recently lost her grandmother, her rock and last living relative and has fallen into a deep depression because of it. Tricia isolates herself and depends too much on Brian, while resenting that he really doesn’t understand her.

Brian (narration and drawings) – is a pottery artist that puts his life on hold to take care of Tricia, his best friend and girlfriend. Brian feels that he’s at the end of his rope, he can’t help Tricia and is unhappy about it.

Emerson (narration) – picks up the phone when Tricia calls at a time when her need is dire. He helps a stranger that in turns sets a series of memorable events in motion. Emerson is a true gentleman and tries to lead an exemplary life. He’s my favorite character because he’s so sweet :)

Angie (free verse poetry) – is Emerson’s girlfriend and kind of pretending to be someone she’s not. I didn’t like Angie too much because she made some really bad decisions even knowing that it was the wrong thing to do. I do understand why she did it, but still. I did love the poetry, which is rare for me.

Brenda (screenplay) – is Angie’s best friend and an aspiring actress and screenplay writer. She has a big secret that dictates a lot on how she conducts her life. She’s forceful, outgoing, but reserves in certain aspects. She’s so brave, confronting her demons head on.

There is a memorable cast of secondary characters and I really liked the members of the community, and see some of the families and parents taking an active part on the life of the main characters which is kind of rare in YA.

The plot is well planned and it plants seeds throughout the chapters that allows the reader to arrive to the conclusion satisfied. The story is full of so many feels. The story is heartbreaking at times and other times is funny. The writing is enthralling and insightful. Each characters is not only distinctive, but this fact is understood in the way they tell their own story. It is obvious that Liza knows the setting well and that it means a lot to her. Washington Island (in Wisconsin) especially feels almost like a character that is well love by all who lived there.

Overall, Hello? Is a gem. A story of loss, love, redemption, pain, abuse, fate, strength, friendship, hope and a lot more. It’s a story of how showing interest, listening and having empathy for someone can change a life, or even a few. You don’t have to know all the answers. Just listen. I wish I had the words to describe how much I loved this book and since I don’t, I hope this review (and the many others like it) will convince you to give a chance. Now go and read it.

All the stars!