Foster is a novella written by Claire Keegan. This story follows the experiences of a girl spending the summer with her foster family.
I stumbled upon this book in a thumbnail from a YouTube video that I didn’t end up watching. I’ve never been drawn to read a book based on a cover. Normally, I have to make sure that it has good reviews before I start reading it. Something about the artwork of the house on this cover begged me to pick it up. I’m so glad that I was able to read this novella because it was spectacular.
Keegan focuses heavily on themes throughout the book. She mainly focuses on themes of heartbreak, grief, family, love, and growth. There is a specific focus on heartbreak from the start of this novella. The reader can infer even without the author explicitly stating that this girl has been mistreated at home. I distinctly remember feeling devastated for this poor girl only 10 pages into the story.
The prose in this novella is very unique. Keegan uses Irish slang a lot throughout this book which I loved. It made the story feel much more authentic in that way.
The concept for this book is simple yet effective. The Kinsellas (the family that is fostering this girl) is tasked with caring for this girl for the summer. As the reader, you know that this situation is temporary. The girl will be back with her parents sooner rather than later. However, I found myself rooting for this foster situation to be a success. I wanted this girl to be loved, the girl to love her foster parents, and a chance for the situation to become permanent. Keegan focused on filling the audience with hope. As the bond between foster parent and child begins to strengthen you can’t help but want it all to work out.
I absolutely loved this novella. I hope that one day I can re-read it and be able to analyze it more thoroughly in another review. Also, I plan on reading more of Claire Keegan in the near future.
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