PAPER AIRPLANE, BROKEN BONES

Drugs and a string of poor choices turn a teen’s life upside down in Shifman’s 1980s-set YA novel.

Steven Jacobs may have been affected by a school friend’s recent death more than he wants to admit. Shpresa Sula was 14, just like Steven, when she died in a truck accident; allegedly, the high school-age driver was on Quaaludes. Shpresa becomes a presence in Steven’s head, acting as the voice of reason. Her guidance (“There’s still time to go. Turn around. Walkout”) doesn’t stop him from swiping some marijuana from his neighbor Annie LeFevre’s home. As the years go by, Steven navigates a complicated relationship with Annie while racked with guilt over a tragedy in his own household. He also tries not to underestimate his sister Marie’s vindictiveness, as she seems poised to strike, no matter how much time has passed since Steven’s transgressions. Shifman’s young protagonist makes a slew of questionable decisions, including a couple that are absolutely baffling. Fortunately, his thought processes are revealed via his first-person narration, along with Shpresa’s persistent voice; his choices aren’t always right, but he doesn’t base them all on reckless whims. The cast comes with myriad layers, from frenemy Peter to Steven’s apathetic father and devoutly religious mother. Marie, however, is the most unforgettable character—she’s impossible to predict and evidently willing to ruin her brother’s life to quench her thirst for personal vengeance. (Steven worries about her even—or especially—when he hasn’t seen her for some time.) Many of the travails Steven navigates, such as short-lived adolescent romances, are not unlike those of a typical growing teenager, but a number of the troubles he endures darken both his days and this narrative’s general atmosphere.

A wholly absorbing but relentlessly grim coming-of-age tale.