if only I'm good at writing poems, I'll create one to describe how much I love this book.

a novel-in-verse, Isabel in Bloom is Mae Respicio's newest release following a young Filipino girl who braved and traveled from PH to US to be with her OFW mother.

this may be a quick read but it encapsulated a lot of emotions that will appeal to readers who:

1. have working parents (or in this case, one is absent)
2. grew up with their grandparents
3. have been taught to be independent at such a young age

and there's a lot to unpack about this middle grade novel and all of it are bared by the author from her (and others) experiences as a Filipino-American.

overall, I highly recommend this offering from Mae