Clairboyance is a book that I've been excited to read since it was officially announced. There aren't a lot of middle grade books that take place in Hawaii from Native Hawaiian authors. It was great to be able to add this to my running list. CW: discussion of divorce, health issues experience by family member

Clairboyance follows main character Clara who is struggling with a host of problems. She's questioning whether to leave O'ahu and move to Arkansas to live with her dad, her mom is currently deployed in Alaska, she's recently lost her best friend, and she's having trouble making and maintaining friendships at school. In order to repair her relationship with her best friend, Clara makes a wish upon a family heirloom to hear what boys are thinking. Surprisingly her wish comes true and her new gift causes her more issues than expected.

What Worked: Oh goodness! There was so many great elements included in this book. I absolutely adored Clara as a character. It was wonderful to see a coming of age story, but from the perspective of a place and culture that often goes underrepresented in children's literature. Not only is Clara attempting to juggle the idea of leaving O'ahu, but she's attempting to figure out ways to repair her friendship with Leo. I was particularly nervous about Clara being able to hear what middle grade age boys were thinking; however, Kahakauwila handled it was such grace and class and in a way that captured the intricacies of friendships that so many of us experience at that age. Clara learns a lot through her gift and it takes her time to learn how to balance hearing people's thoughts and her inclinations to react and intervene on those thoughts. There were so many great culturally moments where Kahakauwila introduces readers to both Ōlelo Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian Pidgin which were both rewarding to listen to via audio. I highly recommend checking out the author's note at the end to learn more about the history of both languages. I also adored the relationship between Clara and Tūtū. The support, care, and love shared between them was felt in every interaction. I was glad to see Clara have Tūtū as a support system especially when she was attempting to navigate her friendships and when and how to use her voice in times of struggle/conflict.

What Did Not Work: I absolutely loved the familial connection to Clara's gift; however, it felt as though readers didn't get enough background information on it. I wanted to know more history related to it and the broader impact it had on the family.

Overall, this was good read. I'm appreciating all these middle grade books that are coming out that are detailing the impact of friendship break ups. I hope to see more from Kristiana Kahakauwila in the future!