Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Initially I was going to be firmer and say that Shakti falls into my “this is a bad title but titles are hard” category, but the more I think about it, the less sure of myself I am. So I’m simply going to say that I have doubts about Shakti being the best possible title for this graphic novel, but (again) titles are hard, and I have no idea what I’d pick instead.

I picked up the book last night because I showered early and figured I’d read in bed so I could also go to bed early, only then I got far enough in that stopping seemed like a waste of time. And so I finished it last night, and instead of going to bed early, well–I was on time, at least, and that’s something, right? Shakti is the story of a girl whose family moves to Amherst, Massachusetts (shoutout to Emily Dickinson!), and finds a trio of witches at the middle school. They have all of the teachers under their spell, but Shakti makes friends with the kids bullied by the witches, especially Xi. When the two of them discover the bullies/witches in the woods and realize what they’re up to, Shakti appeals to one of her mothers, a witch herself, to help. Powerful forces can be difficult to control, however, and when Shakti sets more in motion than she intends to, the stakes are suddenly much higher.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I absolutely love what Shakti has to do to fix things at the end–any book that teaches compassion and empathy as essential to conflict resolution deserves to be read–but I was hoping for a bit more resolution with the witches/bullies. Witchcraft is generally not my thing, but I did enjoy the cultural background of their beliefs, and while I didn’t mind the final conflict being over with quickly, well–it was over awfully quickly. Bottom line? This wasn’t necessarily my thing, but it was worthwhile nonetheless.

In other news, my dad’s funeral is Monday–that still feels surreal to say–and the obituary is written. My feelings are still complicated, because in many ways my dad has been gone for a while now, and yet the fact that he died feels at once both the same and radically different. I am touched–moved–humbled by the outpouring of love from extended family and friends.

This is uncharted territory.