An insightful, hard-hitting, and tender tale of converging mental health journeys.
A YA novel offers an exploration of trauma in teenagers.
Shouse’s book features a trigger warning that gives almost a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of its content. The tale’s themes range from suicide and self-harm to misdiagnosis, sexual assault, and arson. Each chapter is narrated by one teen from a group of youths ages 14 to 18. The band is at Pleasant Valley Treatment Center, a mental health and rehabilitation facility for young people. The story opens with Tobias, a reluctant patient recently admitted after a suicide attempt, in the Maple unit. His perspective alternates with his eventual friends: Matthew, his roommate; the cool and friendly Derek, aka Six; pretty, bubbly Darla and her calmer friend Kate; quiet, intelligent Renee and her fiery, older sister figure, Liz; James, who seems sworn to silence; and the scar-faced Bullfrog. The alternating viewpoints trace the plot through scenes of group therapy. Readers, along with the patients, discover the backstory that landed each character in Pleasant Valley. Friendships among the teens develop as they help one another come to terms with their experiences and start the healing process. In the novel, Shouse makes the case that although the path to healing is neither linear nor easy, unconditional acceptance and love from those around the patients can make the odyssey worthwhile. The author’s first foray into YA fiction strikes the right balance between naïve hope and realistic skepticism in the handling of incredibly heavy themes. The characters are diverse in terms of age, race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and personality. The author skillfully commits to representation without linking this to such stereotypical themes as Black suffering. The book is well paced and smartly structured, with the alternating points of view serving to develop both the characters and the plot. Different approaches to mental health practices, from cognitive behavioral therapy to medication and mindfulness, are also cleverly examined through different players, further emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to mental health. While some dialogue on healing reads as slightly stiff and dogmatic, the core themes of listening and showing compassion in the face of others’ suffering are expressed in simple, poignant terms. At one point, James tells Matthew: “You guys get it, even when you don’t.”
An insightful, hard-hitting, and tender tale of converging mental health journeys.Pub Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-945060-50-2
Page Count: 316
Publisher: Motina Books
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment.
A manifesto for budding feminists.
At the core of this engaging novel are besties Chelsea, who is Irish- and Italian-American and into fashion and beauty, and Jasmine, who is African-American, loves the theater, and pushes back against bias around size (“I don’t need your fake compliments, your pity. I know I’m beautiful. Inside and out”). They and their sidekicks, half-Japanese/half-Lebanese Nadine and Puerto Rican Isaac, grow into first-class activists—simultaneously educating their peers and readers. The year gets off to a rocky start at their progressive, social justice–oriented New York City high school: Along with the usual angst many students experience, Jasmine’s father is terminally ill with cancer, and after things go badly in both their clubs, Jasmine and Chelsea form a women’s rights club which becomes the catalyst for their growth as they explore gender inequality and opportunities for change. This is an inspiring look at two strong-willed teens growing into even stronger young women ready to use their voices and take on the world, imploring budding feminists everywhere to “join the revolution.” The book offers a poetic balance of dialogue among the main characters, their peers, and the adults in their lives. The exquisite pacing, which intersperses everyday teen conflicts with weightier issues, demonstrates how teens long to be heard and taken seriously.
A book that seamlessly brings readers along on a journey of impact and empowerment. (resources for young activists, endnotes) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0008-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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