Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened

Gr 5-8–Blejwas’s new novel takes readers to the early 1990s in small-town Minnesota, through the eyes of 12-year-old Justin. Justin’s life has changed dramatically since the unexpected death of his father in a trolley accident. Now his mom and older brother work long hours to make ends meet. Justin is trying to keep a low profile at school, which is not easy when everyone knows him as “the boy whose father was killed in a weird accident,” while not being a burden to his mom. He is a thoughtful and observant kid who is trying to make sense of life after the death of a parent—which isn’t made any easier by the circumstances of his father’s death which raise more questions than they answer. When Justin is assigned a school project on a historical conflict, he chooses to do his project on the history of his town. Despite the teacher’s warning that the topic didn’t have enough conflict for the assignment, Justin presses on, discovering a past involving the Dakota that had been unknown to him. The narrative’s pacing is slow and full of information that Justin uncovers in his research, which may deter some readers, but those who appreciate a character-driven, coming-of-age story will find much to love here.