​Don't Let Me Go by Jamila Mikhail is a unique and inspiring young adult drama. Joanie is the protagonist, an average teenage girl going through an angsty time. Her parents are divorced, her mom is with another man, and her father has a new family. Feeling lonely in a new place called Bluepond with no friends, she loses herself in her hobby, which is creating toy models of soldiers. But she isn't prepared when one comes alive. This throws her into trying to sort out mysteries that present themselves each day. She begins to trust Adler, who is a Wehrmacht lieutenant and part of World War II's German Resistance. Like Joanie, Adler has to adjust to change and seeming invisible to most people. Together they battle wars all their own, tangible and intangible. Joanie's mission is to mend her fractured life, and Adler's is to find his place in this new world.

Mikhail presents a premise that is different as well as intriguing--not the average plot you find in a YA novel. Joanie is a character most young audiences can relate to, and those who are familiar with the concept of imaginary friends, psychological escape, or coping mechanisms can appreciate what's going on with Joanie and the plot. She leans on Adler to get by, but he has issues too. The author choosing to use first-person POV is good, as we are immediately immersed in Joanie's headspace. This character-driven drama does its job of taking readers on a journey, and you can't really predict what will happen next. Mikhail is successful at balancing plot with subtext, exterior conflict with interior conflict, and character development. The questions at the end are a nice touch--just right for a classroom or book club discussion. If you're looking for something fresh and meaningful in a YA novel, Don't Let Me Go by Jamila Mikhail would be a perfect choice. Fans of Marwen will appreciate this book.

Don't Let Me Go is a work of fiction in the social issues, interpersonal drama, and magical realism sub-genres, and was penned by author Jamila Mikhail. The work is intended for young adult and adult reading audiences and contains some references to violence and the Holocaust, but no graphic material. Our protagonist is Joanie, a contemporary teen who buries herself in her hobbies when the resultant trauma of her parents’ ugly divorce gets her down. But when one of the models she loves to make comes to life, Joanie discovers a whole new bond with Adler, a soldier from the German Resistance in the Second World War. What results is a very engrossing coming of age tale that is sure to keep readers turning the pages from cover to cover.

Author Jamila Mikhail has crafted a touching and poignant work of fiction with plenty of dramatic highs and lows to offer its readers. One of the features which I found particularly impressive about this piece was its deep emotional resonance and commitment to realistic feelings, even in a supernatural and quirky plotline. Adler is a fascinating character who holds up a mirror to Joanie’s own struggles and their bond is well penned to develop into something truly powerful by the novel’s end. I feel that young adult readers will empathize closely with Joanie, whilst older readers will admire the parallelism in the historical references and the trials of modern life. Overall, I would highly recommend Don't Let Me Go to readers of historical and contemporary mash-ups, realistic supernatural elements, and for emotive drama fans everywhere.