Hello, Universe

Virgil is a quiet Filipino boy trapped in a well by the class bully. Helped by his friends – each with their own finely layered story – Virgil not only gets rescued, but also finds his inner voice. I loved the effortless diversity of the characters, which wasn’t the basis of the story, but truly enriched it.

Virgil is the fish-out-of-water main character here in a boisterous family. My favorite line is when his parents are telling him to come out of his shell and he points out that if turtles had chosen to come out of their shells instead of trusting in evolution, they never would have survived. Go, Virgil!  His loving, well-meaning family thinks pushing Virgil outside his comfort zone will allow him to discover his extrovert nature, instead of validating the power of his innately thoughtful, observant, empathetic nature.