By Carly Smith
Content warning: Bullying
Warren is a preteen who recently moved cities with his family, including his twin brother, Bennie. All Warren wants to do is fit in and adjust to his new life by making friends, fitting in at school, and doing some of the activities he did back home. Settling in proves tricky, though, and Warren thinks it’s because of Bennie. Bennie has Down syndrome, and some of Warren and Bennie’s peers have never met anyone with Down syndrome. One new peer, Maya, is keen to build a friendship with both brothers and learns that Bennie has a talent for completing jigsaw puzzles in record time. She encourages Bennie to showcase his skill at the school talent show, but Warren thinks this is a horrible idea. Will Bennie take part in the show? Will Warren stop it? McMurchy-Barber works hard to make a relatable and exciting piece that all ages can connect to.
We first meet Warren, a boy who like most children his age is starting to care what others think of him. He is constantly on high alert about how others act and react around Bennie. What will others say to him? What will they say about him? On top of this, he sometimes feels like Bennie’s caretaker and not his brother. This feeling is present at home, too; Warren and Bennie’s parents often rely on Warren to be Bennie’s guardian when they cannot. We quickly learn that Warren lacks a sense of autonomy and is very self-conscious. Bennie, on the other hand, is a joyful, optimistic boy who thinks the best of everyone and does not hesitate to march to the beat of his own drum. A kind, funny preteen, Bennie is rarely upset, and when he is, he is keen to find the silver lining. As the book progresses, both boys navigate some difficult feelings, and Warren is faced with confronting his worries and deciding if they are worth more than the strong bond he has with his brother. The Jigsaw Puzzle King is written from the perspective of Warren, which offers many opportunities to empathize with him. Nevertheless, McMurchy-Barber writes the story in such a way that the reader is still able to see the story unfold from Bennie’s perspective. She intertwines both viewpoints beautifully so that the reader is equally pulled towards both boys’ feelings.
Gina McMurchy-Barber’s The Jigsaw Puzzle King touches on several themes, including self-awareness, diversity, and family. We see Warren repeatedly grapple with his role in the family dynamic and how it affects not just his happiness but that of the other members. His initial oblivion to his feelings about how others behave around Bennie plays a significant role in the storyline, keeping the reader captivated with a desire to read on to see if his sense of self-awareness will evolve. These themes, combined with the author’s writing style, makes it hard to put down The Jigsaw Puzzle King; each chapter beautifully compliments the previous one and elegantly sets the foundation for the upcoming one. A nominee for the Silver Birch Fiction Award, I can see myself reading this book again, especially with my son or students.