HIGH

September 15, 2021
Vivid realism reaches impressive heights in this novel in verse. Ninth grader Ceti is a star soccer player struggling with a future she can barely imagine and a drug-abusing mother. Her bleak past includes living in a truck, and though memories of her grandfather are warm, his absence stings. Ceti's history of strained friendships resulting from the deception and emotional upheaval of living with an addicted parent contrast with the vital joy and respite of the soccer field and the attention of a supportive coach. The emotional heart of the story is expressed in the poem "Jigsaw Puzzle," in which Ceti weighs the limits of her agency. Ceti's romantic interest, Will, is cued as Afro-Latinx and her best friend, Ruby, is Black and White. As a White girl, Ceti's perceptions of race--e.g., that Ruby has it easier because she's biracial, and her lack of reflection on her mother's nickname for her, Indian Girl--seem na�ve but may reflect the social-emotional limits of a young person raised in a traumatic environment. Impulse control issues and a crisis at home jeopardize her faith in the future she's working toward. The emotional complexity makes this a good option for serious readers, with each tightly crafted poem delivering a shudderingly beautiful piece to the story. The use of white space and font size and concrete poetic techniques throughout capture the searing moments that define Ceti's perceived options and powerful journey. A heartfelt, grim glimpse of addiction's fallout. (Verse novel. 14-18)

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October 15, 2021
Grades 6-9 Life for Ceti, an almost 15-year-old soccer phenom, is not all cheers. She has grown up living on the edge, sleeping in her mom's truck and staying in shelters. Now they're in an apartment, but she never knows what she'll find when she arrives home. Will her mom be high, dancing with her creepy boyfriend/candyman, passed out, maybe even dead? Fortunately, Ceti has soccer (which she learned to love from Gramps), support from her BFF, and the thrill of her crush, Will. More complications arise when Ceti's mom becomes pregnant, there's an apartment fire, and Ceti makes a judgmental misstep that could cost her the future she's been working toward. Told in verse, Sullivan's novel captures the realistic banter between Will and Ceti as they debate their favorite soccer stars, offers starkly descriptive images of her mom's drug paraphernalia, and portrays the desperate pressures this young woman feels. Her coach and other adults prove the saying "It takes a village," helping Ceti's story end hopefully. This will appeal to those who appreciate stories that don't pull any punches.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.