At the start of Christine Hartman Derr’s wonderfully empowering debut, Raven, Rising, Raven Miller is indeed at a low point. Her parents recently died in an accident for which she feels responsible, and she and her Aunt Coral have just moved to Bear Creek Falls, where she is immediately tortured by a popular girl, Stella. She’s also creeped out by Vice Principal McKell, who is hyperfocused on the dress code and enforces it unfairly. Despite this, Raven certainly does rise, even though she believes “my life plan disappeared the day my parents died.”
Like the author, Raven is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, although, because of her mother’s heritage, she looks white, and her classmates have no idea of her roots. “I don’t fit the Hollywood stereotype of a Native person,” she notes. She cherishes memories of learning the Cherokee language with her father, but feels ashamed when she uses those words irreverently to put a fake curse on Stella.
Raven has also had “an unexplainable baking ability” since she was little—possibly helped by the fact that her mother used a mysterious spice that has a truth-telling effect on those who taste it. Raven had dreamed of one day opening a bakery, but since the accident, she has avoided this pursuit. At times, however, she feels as though certain ingredients—especially cinnamon—are beckoning her back to the kitchen in a magical way. She also begins to suspect that her two new friends, Hazel and Laurel, have magical abilities of their own.
Derr does an exceptional job of weaving these disparate threads into a compelling whole and making enthralling, nuanced use of the supernatural elements. Raven is a relatable 12-year-old surrounded by a cast of believable characters. Aunt Coral is Raven’s anchor amid her sea of despair, and Derr’s portrayal of Raven’s online therapy sessions includes several coping skills that readers may find useful. Raven and her friends’ efforts to confront Mr. McKell offer a fine portrait of effecting change in an organized, powerful way. Raven points out how dress codes are often used to target women and people of color, and her musings on cultural sensitivity provide food for thought. Raven also mentions a number of her favorite comfort books—including Indigenous writers Andrea L. Rogers and Christine Day—that readers may enjoy researching.
Raven, Rising is an outstanding exploration of trauma, grief and friendship that marks the noteworthy arrival of another rising star in author Christine Hartman Derr.