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Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
Rise is a historical fiction coming-of-age drama by Kat Helgeson. It's the year 1968. Joanie Beckett has recently moved to Houston, Texas, with her family, who are in the limelight because her father, Walter, is an astronaut at Cape Kennedy. Joanie has been taught to tread carefully at school and in public, so as not to ruin the ideal reputation of her astronaut family. However, she inevitably gets in trouble and ends up in an article in the Houston Chronicle for all the wrong reasons. She also starts a relationship with a boy named Lou, who has aspirations of becoming an astronaut. Meanwhile, Joanie discovers that her father has his own secrets. Will she be able to chase her dreams? Or is she going to be stuck between her friends and family?
Rise is a captivating novel about a young woman's self-discovery set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Kat Helgeson has crafted an absorbing, character-driven narrative. It has the reader following the adventures of a teenager seeking to find her own purpose while navigating friendships, family, and first love. Helgeson does a wonderful job of capturing the atmosphere of that era and the general feelings of the late 1960s youth in America. On one hand, many were disillusioned with the Vietnam War. Others were feeling patriotic and full of belief because of the Moon landing mission. I found the characters very layered. Joanie, her friends, and family members all have their unique flaws and vulnerabilities that make them feel like real people. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. If you like slice-of-life stories with young protagonists, you're going to love this!
