Language: R (41 swears 25 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (teen drinking, mild drug use (gummies) pot mentioned, kissing) Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
17yo Lil is in trouble again. At her court appearance - where her extended family showed their support, the judge scolded her for repeated offences and made her wear an ankle monitor until her sentencing in about a month. She's got some specific limits, and a curfew and her lawyer has cautioned that she needs to be responsible. But Lil isn't sure she can be that kind of good person; she's loyal, especially to her older brother, who is going through a rough time of his own right now.
Elizabeth Acevedo is a really good writer. I love how she mixes poetry with prose to tell an engaging, heartbreaking story. I couldn't put it down. I loved the family dynamics - supportive parents who acknowledge they are still learning. I liked how she was challenged to make new friends (her old friends are unavailable), and that it wasn't easy. A great empathy builder as well as a mirror.
Lil's family is from El Salvador, one of the new friends is transgender.
Lisa Librarian
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