Portugal, in the late 1960s, is ruled by an authoritarian government, and repression of political dissidents is fierce. Sonia attends high school during a time when the country’s leader “tells us we do not debate The Certainties: / God and His virtue / the Fatherland and its history / authority and its prestige / the family and its morals / the glory of work and its duty.”

Sonia, however, longs to write poetry that is not bound by strict rules and regulations. She is in love with Zé Miguel, a revolutionary who fights for the workers and the oppressed. Neither of these passions is acceptable in her world, where no one can be trusted and everyone—her father, the government, the nuns at her school—is desperate to maintain tight control.

When Zé Miguel is arrested and her family’s restaurant is closed after her uncle hired a banned musician, Sonia must drop out of school to work in a hotel laundry room. Sonia’s friends abandon her, and she must spend her days engaged in painful and exhausting work.

But her desire for freedom and poetry remains, and as she sees the way the hotel exploits its workers, she becomes increasingly angry and determined “to live on [her] own / in a place where a woman can live on her own.”

We knew almost nothing about this period in Portugal’s history, and were immediately drawn into Sonia’s story, written in gorgeous verse. We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn more.

Thank you NetGalley, Carolrhoda Lab, and Lerner Publishing Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

Will be posted at https://threeheads.works/category/blog/ya-books/ on 5/20.

Eyes Open by Lyn Miller-Lachmann is a novel about Sonia, a girl growing up in Portugal in 1967 and under the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar. Using free verse, the author tells the story of a young life restricted in every aspect. Sonia’s boyfriend is arrested, her family’s restaurant is shut down, and Sonia must quit school and work at a dangerous laundry establishment. Sonia’s whole life is changed so profoundly without her consent, her angst and frustration shows through her words and prose.

This is the first novel I’ve read in free verse and I really enjoyed it. I was amazed at the depth of Sonia’s story told through poetry. It was a quick read but a profound and serious look at a difficult time in Portugal’s history. I would recommend this book for young adults and historical fiction readers who would like to explore the free verse format.

Thank you Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Interesting, cool and creative. And I found the main character great! Thanks for the arc and my gosh I would Rex this novel in verse