A flawed but moving novel about a vital contemporary social issue.
This sprawling novel tells the stories of three small-town women who must get abortions in the midst of a pro-life protest and local controversy.
Ormsby, a freelance journalist, makes her first foray into fiction with this realist debut. The plot revolves around the citizens of the small, normally sleepy town of Litchfield, N.J., focusing on three very different women with the same difficult choice ahead of them. Clara Mahoney is a teenager who gets pregnant after an older man drunkenly takes advantage of her. Pia Fernandez is a working-class woman trying to survive her husband’s abuse. Loren Elliott, a middle-class mother, unexpectedly finds out that she’s having another baby just as her husband is laid off. These three stories serve as the focal point for a much larger plot that encompasses local politicians, journalists and clergy, all of whom react differently to a pro-life demonstration in town that brings the conflicts to a head. Ormsby has a wonderful eye for character and detail, as she fleshes out a keenly observed portrayal of small-town life. Clearly she feels very strongly about the issue of abortion and a woman’s right to choose. She seems to be trying to use the three central characters to craft a larger, moralistic and slightly didactic plot à la George Eliot or The Wire. Unfortunately, the novel could have used another edit or two; at 448 pages, there are simply too many characters. Even though many of them are well-developed—in particular, there’s an abundance of strong women—there are too many side plots and characters to keep the story going smoothly. Clara’s plot in particular is disturbing in ways that may not be what Ormsby intended: Her assailant seems to have a creepy, inappropriate crush on her, and it’s unclear how the novel wants to treat his feelings. The novel also ends abruptly, essentially at its climax, with no real denouement. After all those pages, most of the numerous plots are left dangling in an unsatisfying way. Still, in the end, this uneven but enjoyable read tells an important, timely story.
A flawed but moving novel about a vital contemporary social issue.Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0615728940
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Great South Bay Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
