It's the end of 1971: prairie skirts, marijuana—and no Roe v. Wade.
Chloe and her best friend, MJ, drive to San Francisco to ring in the new year—and to get Chloe a legal abortion. Loaded up on Tab, they seek a decent women's clinic while staying with Chloe's wacky aunt Kiki, who enjoys public nudity, stores boxes in the oven and hangs ornaments from roach clips. But getting an abortion in San Francisco isn't as easy as Chloe hopes. Even in the city of free love, psychiatrists can be anti-abortion activists in disguise. When she finally discovers a good clinic, 17-year-old Chloe discovers she needs parental permission. Chloe's own fears and confusions play off against Catholic MJ's; MJ adores her friend but hates the reality of terminating a pregnancy. Neither Kiki nor Chloe's mother, still learning to negotiate the self-actualization of second-wave feminism with the responsibilities of parenthood, provide the kind of support Chloe wants. In the wild-and-crazy rock 'n' roll, aura-reading, yoga-filled, feathery environment of San Francisco, Chloe comes to terms with decisions only she can make. Ultimately, Chloe's story is not about abortion, but about a child becoming a young woman while rebuilding tenuous relationships with her loved ones.
A well-framed historical, with a wholly realized setting and believable, rich, likable characters. (Historical fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: March 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8097-1
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2012
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BOOK REVIEW
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
29
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Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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