Review by Alicia L’Archevêque
Penguin Random House/Tundra Books, March, 2023
256 pages. Hardcover. CAN. $23.99. 9780735270121
Middle-Grade, 10+ years old
Children’s Fiction, Mystery
“In fact, it felt like the Gidgi-est thing ever, laughing like that. Like something she would’ve done herself. And then I thought, Maybe she did. Maybe she’s here with me now.”
Gidge is the sort of grandmother with a fashion portfolio, a kick-scooter, and a genuine love for life’s “beauty and bumps.” Her spirit is fiery, sincere, and all-encompassing in a way that feels eternal. But sadly, despite being a woman so full of life, hers has come to its end. Vicki Grant’s A Green Velvet Secret is rife with quirky characters navigating pre-adolescence, friendship, family, and grief the best they can. The chaos of their attempts is not only entertaining but an affirmation that it is okay to grieve in your own messy way.
I’d best describe Yardley and her grandmother, Gidge, as kindred spirits who happen to be related. The “two peas in a stylish little pod” are attached at the hip, bound by their shared love for all things fashionable. While Gidge prepares to pass – and soon after, does – Yardley’s world is turned upside down. As she struggles to tackle life without Gidge, Yardley clumsily searches for signs of her promised reincarnation. Much to Yardley’s dismay, Gidge’s reincarnation doesn’t seem to have taken the shape of a single being for her to hold close forever. Rather, it just might be that everything she adored about her grandmother now hides in the nooks and crannies of new experiences and unlikely friends she makes.
Grief is immensely complicated. To tell a story that is inherently drenched in heartache, not to mention to such a young audience, requires much tact. Vicki Grant has not taken this responsibility lightly; with her expert hand, she has infused a sorrowful story with just the right amount of comfort, hope, and sparkle. For anyone who is grieving or has grieved, this book is a compassionate and sensitive embrace.
Though no longer tangible, it appears that the indescribable quality of Gidge’s spirit has been knit into the fabric of life without her. Jamie Anderson once said that “Grief is just love with no place to go.” A Velvet Green Secret suggests that this love doesn’t have to stay trapped in your chest; rather, it can disperse and settle cheekily into unexpected corners of the world.
Alicia L’Archevêque loves to write, talk about movies, dance with friends, and climb trees in good company. She is an art student at UBC and a swimmer on the school’s varsity team.
YOUNG ADULTING 