MAHINA RISES

In Blossom’s middle-grade novel, prophetic dreams lead a teen Hawaiian girl to tackle climate change.

In her dreams, 13-year-old Mahina Moemoea can fly and speak to her deceased mother. Her tutu (grandmother) explains that all of the women in their family have unusual powers that stem from their deep connections to the earth (“The power of intuition is what brought my own tutu to this beautiful island in the first place”). They draw strength from their homestead on the island of Hawaii, a ranch that includes mysterious lava caves. Tutu commands Mahina to resist her power, claiming that it is dangerous and caused her mother’s death. When a hurricane ravages the island, Mahina’s dream life becomes more intense and inspires her to plan a fundraiser to rebuild her school. After that success, her strength only increases and she finds that she is able to fly in reality; she also teaches her best friend, Koa. The experience leads her to devise a strategy to save the Earth by helping powerful movers and shakers to experience flight. The narrative’s earnest style is reminiscent of classic children’s books from the mid-20th century. Like many of those older books, it features few child characters and instead focuses on developing meaningful relationships between the hero and adults, including her teacher Ms. Reynolds and her grandmother. Olina, Mahina’s beloved cat, supports her throughout the book, a rare animal character who is much more than an afterthought or a clunky metaphor. The bond between Mahina and Koa anchors the story—their friendship deepens into a very chaste romance.  The tropical setting is evocative, but the prose is light on description; the narrative relies more heavily on solid dialogue and the atmospheric dream sequences. While the story begins with the existential despair of the climate crisis—and while Blossom may irk readers by reductively suggesting that the climate crisis can be solved by influencing a handful of CEOs—the tone remains optimistic as Mahina, just one young girl, changes the world.

An inspiring tale of climate justice featuring a strong and passionate young hero.