Starred review from January 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-For her whole life Fern has lived quietly with her two fathers, only sporadically interacting with the wealthy on Commodore Island. Then, with one word from the radiant recovering actress Ivy, her "origin story" begins. As her life intertwines with that of Ivy, the irresponsible Ash, and the twisted Tami, her Cinderella story rots until it collapses due to Fern and Ivy's harmful desires. Fern craves worth given by "special" people, consequently devaluing herself, and Ivy wants real bonds, but can't form them because she's been crafted into an "object." Despite their contrary qualities, their connection at the end will stun readers. Fern recounts her story mostly through internal monologue, and, like thoughts, she flits around and speaks in imagery. This gives the narrative a dreamlike quality, thoroughly saturating readers in the themes of identity and mental trauma. In this near-future story, climate change has led to migrations and environmental disasters, class gaps have widened, and corporations govern. But more notably, this book is about that desperate yearning to find one's true self, be acknowledged, and to not be shaped by another's designs. While Reed takes inspiration from The Great Gatsby, this story is her own and will likely resonate with teens-especially young women-even more than the classic. Fern's ethnicity is not specified. VERDICT An immersive, smartly written view into the mind of a young woman coping with her identity and trauma; a distinct perspective to add to the mental health fiction selection.-Rachel Forbes, Oakville P.L., Ont.
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 1, 2021
The toll of exploitative fame is explored against a dystopian backdrop in this psychological thriller. Eighteen-year-old Fern is the cherished daughter of her loving fathers on picturesque Commodore Island just outside Seattle in the latter half of the 21st century. The nightmarish outside world, in which crises due to poverty, xenophobia, and climate disaster are ever present, is held somewhat at bay for her. When Ivy, a teen celebrity who publicly self-destructed in a sadly familiar haze of substance use and mental health disorders, arrives on the island, Fern is drawn to her. At the same time, she also is suddenly befriended by Tami, the cruel, wealthy girlfriend of her childhood friend Ash, the boy on whom Fern also nurses a crush. A winding, sometimes confusing narrative from Fern's first-person point of view devolves as her character does, and she is inextricably drawn further into complicated relationship drama and heavy alcohol and drug use. Situating the trope of the lonely, emotionally unfulfilling experience of extreme wealth and excess in a vividly imagined near future rife with recognizable details, such as calling a Seattle-based corporate oligarchy A-Corp, makes for a compelling setting, though an overarching plot device may be spotted by readers a long way off. The cast features naturally integrated ethnic diversity. A complicated, harrowing tale of personal trauma in a violently polarized society. (author's note, resources) (Thriller. 14-18)
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