In M.L. Florez’s heartwarming middle-grade novel, THE HEROIC MISADVENTURES OF MACI AND ROLAND, Maci’s attempts to belong only make her feel more isolated. Initially, she plants black tulips (black is her favorite color), but the town’s self-appointed sheriff removes them because black doesn’t fit the bright colors of the town. Then she joins the bake sale, but her cookies perform poorly after being burnt. Eventually, she tries cheerleading, but her gloomy cheer leaves everyone horrified. Greatly discouraged, she is on the verge of giving up, believing she’ll never be accepted and never make friends. Then she gets an interesting idea to enroll her dog and only friend (Roland, a large and lazy Komondor) into the town’s much-anticipated annual contest, hoping they’ll win and that people will finally like her. However, the contest proves to be perspective-altering.
Florez warmly captures the struggle many face when trying to belong through Maci, who tries to blend her low-profile personality with the upbeat personality of the townsfolk. Her interactions with her dog reveal her emotions and humanize him, as she converses with him as if he’s a person. His reactions support this: barking right on time when she tells him to wait five minutes for his food to cool, only cooperating when she makes specific promises, and knowing when she needs time to process her emotions. Their interactions are often humorous, such as when she mentions needing to make changes around the house, and he, “scared that Maci meant something about him, sprinted to the kitchen to protect his snacks.” Their lovely bond moves the story forward.
In contrast, supporting characters function as plot devices rather than fully realized individuals, weakening the narrative. For instance, her parents are mentioned in passing but don’t play any significant role in the story, creating gaps (including their noticeable absence during her preparations for the bake sale and a lack of support during the contest that means so much to her and the entire town).
Her outcast status is emphasized through descriptions like this: “Whimsyville was famous for its Victorian buildings that seemed to have come out of a fairytale. They were painted in soft pinks, gentle blues, sunny yellows, and mint greens. Maci lived in one of the sunny yellow buildings that contrasted with her gloomy and dark appearance.” In the end, readers should find this a satisfying (if not groundbreaking) story that’s easy to relate to.
M.L. Florez’s THE HEROIC MISADVENTURES OF MACI AND ROLAND is a familiar but enlightening story about finding a way to fit in.
~Gabriella Harrison for IndieReader