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Portugal, 1967. Sónia thinks she knows what her future holds.
She'll become a poet, and together she and her artist boyfriend, Zé Miguel, will rise above the government restrictions that shape their lives. The restrictions on what Sónia can do and where she can go without a man's permission. The restrictions on what music she can enjoy, what books she can read, what questions she can ask.
But when Zé Miguel is arrested for anti-government activities and Sónia's family's restaurant is shut down, Sónia's plans are upended. No longer part of the comfortable middle class, she's forced to leave school and take a low-paying, grueling, dangerous job. She thought she understood the dark sides of her world, but now she sees suffering she never imagined.
Without the protection of her boyfriend or her family, can Sónia find a way to fight for justice? This poignant novel in verse follows a teen girl discovering how to resist tyranny and be true to herself.
"The verse format allows Sónia's poetic voice to shine, drawing readers into the stark reality she's dealing with... Conveys harshness, beauty―and lingering hope." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Beautifully and fluidly written, Miller-Lachmann's memorable verse novel captures the setting splendidly, dramatizing the abysmal condition of women under the dictatorship." ―Booklist (starred review)
"Employing tightly bound poems, Miller-Lachman weaves the perils of authoritarianism into the dynamics between Sónia and her family, and highlights Sónia's activist awakening and the power of protest." ―Publishers Weekly
"A revealing, timely glimpse into Portugal's frighteningly recent history and a passionate, authentically teen portrait of one young woman finding her voice, claiming her power, and writing her way to freedom." ―Melanie Crowder, author of Jumper
"Deeply engrossing and moving. Miller-Lachmann is masterful in showing us the heart of a girl who's finding her voice and the soul of a country in conflict with itself." ―Betty G. Yee, author of Gold Mountain
"Sensuous. Atmospheric. Compelling. You won't want to put this one down." ―Ellen Hopkins, author of the Crank trilogy
"Beautifully-written verse perfectly captures this young poet standing up to injustice. A must read!" ―Kip Wilson, YA author of White Rose and The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin
This information about Eyes Open was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
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Photo by Joan Heffler
Lyn Miller-Lachmann translates children's books from Portuguese to English, including award-winning picture book The World in a Second and YA graphic novel Pardalita. She is the author of Torch, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for YA Literature, and co-author (with Zetta Elliott) of the middle grade verse novel Moonwalking.
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