I could not put this book down; I gobbled it up in one weekend! This book is one of my favorites so far this fall.
A quick summary: Dess, a girl that has moved in and out of foster care, has now come to live with Hope's family, which is also where Dess's younger brother, Austin, lives. Less is not used to trusting others and Hope has always been taught that kindness prevails. Heartwarming and heart-wrenching events and hijinks ensue.
The book is told from two different perspectives, Dess and Hope, with alternating chapters. This seems to be the "it" structure right now; is this to create rounder characters or because contemporary readers want to know all of the secrets?
Dess felt like students I have taught before. I appreciated that she was not the sweet, kind orphan character who only needs someone to believe her. Quite the contrary: she was hardened to reality because the world had taught her to trust in no one but herself.
Though I haven't known a family like Hope's, I'd like to believe (dare I say, hope) that there are families like this out there. We so often read narratives of foster families scamming the system; I'm glad to finally read a different perspective.
This book offered both high and low stakes problems. There were times when the conflict was a life and death issue, while at others it was just about finding the right outfit for a party.
What I also appreciated was that Hope's family was black- this saved me from having to read another "white savior" narrative. There are not enough YA books out there with black characters, much less upper middle class ones. Of the 81 books I have read this year, this is the only book so far that has featured such a character. Authors: this needs to change.
Though it wasn't the primary focus of the book, it does address some female body issues and how girls can and should feel beautiful no matter their size. (This is when I have a problem with the cover art: Hope talks so much about being curvy and sometimes embarrassed by her size, but the cover features a slender black girl. Not cool, Random House.)
Rating: *****
Recommended: Realistic fiction, 7-9 graders
Diversity: All over! The main family was African American with one of our protagonists being an African American female.
If you liked: Goodbye Stranger, Awkward, Ghosts
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