This study in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder tracks four miserable months in the life of narrator Fin, a freshman at Miami-Dade High. Fin counts incessantly, performs small rituals, washes her hands over and over and sometimes gouges them with tweezers. A move from Vermont to Florida, followed by her parents’ divorce, has intensified her compulsions. She has only one friend, a hyperactive stoner with problems of his own. Her mother, who has untreated OCD, mostly carps at Fin and cleans the house. Her father is barely present. Even Fin’s therapist appears to be incompetent. She puts Fin on Paxil, fails to warn her about side effects and apparently doesn’t consult with Fin’s mother. The Paxil makes Fin much worse. Readers learn about OCD and something about its treatment. Those who enjoy steeping themselves in the bleakness of modern life will be in their element here among concrete McMansions and a grimy school with hostile students. While strong on atmosphere, this long novel has little plot and only a few moments of drama near the end. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-06-088605-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2007
A winning game of feelingsball.
A former football star, who never thought she’d play again after she came out as transgender, steps back onto the field for one last season to help her team win state.
Grace Woodhouse used to know where she belonged. She had Division I schools lined up to recruit her, but that was before what happened during playoffs last year, before she came out as trans, and before she quit the team. Although her single father and new friend group support her, Grace feels lost as her senior year begins. When one of her old teammates asks her to help him with his technique, she quickly realizes that he and the other captains are hoping for more than her expertise from the sidelines—they want her to rejoin the team. Grace can’t resist the opportunity to play again, but her return draws unwanted national attention that makes her question her future and who she wants to be. Flashback chapters written in the second-person present tense bring Grace’s past to life, which helps maintain momentum and makes her emotional journey feel more immersive. A heartfelt, goofy, and diverse cast of secondary characters surround Grace, who’s white, as she navigates self-doubt, friendship, complicated feelings for her ex-girlfriend, and what she wants to do after graduation. Overall, this coming-of-age sports narrative is honest, gentle, and hopeful.
A winning game of feelingsball. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781646145027
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
A gentle emphasis on hope and healing makes this a compassionate, restorative collection.
British Indian poet and playwright Gill’s first work for young adults is a tender, feminist examination of hard topics that honors quiet moments of healing and connection.
This poetry collection, organized around the four seasons, has sections that begin with a line of advice for each sign in the zodiac. Many of the poems focus on women’s bonds and identity: There are meditations on the women who have come before and those who will come after, emphasizing enduring mutual support. Romantic love, with partners of different genders, and self-love are explored next. The family section delves into toxic family ties and different parental reactions to coming out. There’s also a powerful meditation on colorism: “As a child, the aunties called my sister Coal. / Coal because of the colour of her skin, / not because of her ability to become fuel, / to glow so brightly despite them.” The next few sections—on hurting, protest, and body image—are empowering, inclusive reminders of one’s value. Topics like microaggressions, climate change, and the importance of voting are addressed: “You deserve a future filled with hope.” The concluding pieces about healing, friendship, and found family are soothing and beautiful. The concise poems, many of which contain abstract ruminations that feel relevant to many moments of joy and pain, combined with Gill’s black-and-white sketches, are accessible and welcoming.
A gentle emphasis on hope and healing makes this a compassionate, restorative collection. (author’s note) (Poetry. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781529083606
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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