Language: R (24 swears, 21 ‘f'); Mature Content: R (mentions of sex for drugs, mention of rape, attempted rape, grooming, drug use); Violence: R (animal killing, abuse, neglect, bullying, death by overdose)
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
A trauma narrative in verse and prose. Penny is celebrating her 16th birthday at the carnival with friends. When she gets a desperate text from her estranged mother, it pulls her into the difficult memories of her past. Penny grew up with an opioid addicted mother who could be kind and sweet, emotionally abusive, and neglectful, depending on her state of mind. She often had men of questionable character staying at the house. The story is interwoven with a fairy tale theme as Penny tries to make sense of her past to move forward with her future.
Beautifully written, but it was hard to read about the difficulties Penny had as a result of her mother's addiction. Luckily, at some point, she was sent to live with her grandparents, who loved and cared for her. I liked the continued theme of fairy tales throughout the narrative. There was also a somewhat creepy metaphor of the house throughout. Some readers will relate to Penny's experiences. Penny is assumed to be white.
Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian
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