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Josefina Gutierrez is a young adult author who writes when she's not out makin' memories. She is a forever student working towards a Masters in Bilingual Bicultural Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She currently resides in San Antonio with her awesome munchkin.
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
The Shadow of Loss is a young adult coming of age story written by Josefina Gutierrez. Evelyn Gonzalez had a nervous breakdown when she was in her junior year of high school, and her sister had her committed to an institution. Now she's being released, and she will be staying with Olive, her sister, while she completes her senior year in high school. This is a new school for Evelyn, and she wishes she could just stay at home and be home-schooled, but everyone thinks she should be out there. When she and Olive arrive at their apartment, Brody, a young guy about her age, is lounging around reading a book. He's in her English class, and he seems nice enough, but Evelyn can't understand why anyone would be interested in her, and she hasn't gotten over the catastrophic loss that resulted in her breakdown.
Josefina Gutierrez's young adult coming of age story, The Shadow of Loss, is rich and multi-textured. Evelyn has had her share of losses: June Bug, her soul mate, and her dad who taught her so much; and she only goes along with Olive and the school counselor's socialization schemes to keep from being sent back to the hospital. It's marvelous to watch as she cautiously steps out of herself, bit by bit. The Shadow of Loss is filled with great characters, some living on in Evelyn's heart and others who begin to help her fill the holes in her spirit. Brody, his mother, Beatrice, and Matt quickly became favorite people as I read on. Evelyn is herself a fabulous character and it was a joy to watch as she becomes whole again. The Shadow of Loss is an accomplished and beautifully written coming of age story, and it is highly recommended.
