We Deserve Monuments

Starred review from October 31, 2022
Biracial (Black and white) high school senior Avery Anderson abruptly relocates from Washington, D.C., to Bardell, Ga., to help care for her terminally ill, estranged Black maternal grandmother, Mama Letty. But the strenuous relationship between Avery’s mother and Mama Letty makes it difficult for Avery to get to know her grandmother, whose behavior toward Avery feels increasingly cold and hostile. Avery soon meets stunning next-door neighbor Simone, who is Black, and her friend Jade, white heiress to a downtown hotel. While exploring Bardell, Avery develops a crush on Simone, who she feels is “made of sunflowers.” When Mama Letty begins opening up about her life and Avery’s grandfather, Avery is heartened by this budding bond and connection to her heritage, and the more she learns about her family, the quicker she comes to grips with the town’s deep interpersonal connections. Hammonds’s deliberate prose crafts an expertly fleshed-out cast and a lushly described setting to thoughtfully examine questions of mortality and identity. This remarkable debut explores multigenerational trauma and how its effects leave severe wounds on the present while resonating into the future, making for a heartrending tale. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary and Media.

Starred review from November 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old biracial teen Avery (Black and white) has just broken up with her girlfriend and best friend of five years after too many ugly racist microaggressions, leaving her with a sense of relief at ditching such a toxic relationship. The frantic pace of school and looming early admissions application to Georgetown are put on hold when she follows her parents to small-town Bardell, GA, to care for her dying maternal grandmother, Mama Letty, whom she has never met. Racial tensions and mystery abound in this community, piling rumors on half-truths, keeping Avery's head spinning while searching for someone to explain the facts. She tries to navigate her mother's vicious relationship with Mama Letty, deeply hurt by the never-ending hostility and bitterness between them. Unexpected friendships with two local girls offer Avery new perspectives and opportunities. Ultimately, Avery must choose her own path, find her unique voice, and balance the facts of people's messy histories with the good they do. This book pulls no punches, delving deeply into racial tensions, whitewashing of ugly truths, homophobia, and justice left undone. Yet, there is a lightness, humor, and catharsis for characters and readers despite the heavy subject matter. VERDICT Hammonds delivers a breathtaking exploration of vital issues wrapped up in a mystery, challenging readers to reexamine their own truths. A must-purchase for all libraries serving high school readers.-Kristen Rademacher

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2023
Seventeen-year-old Avery is convinced her family has made a huge mistake in moving from Washington, DC, to Bardell County, Georgia. Biracial and queer, Avery is not sure how she will be received in her mother's Southern hometown -- and if her grandmother is any indication, acceptance won't be easy. Elderly, ornery, and dying of cancer, Mama Letty is caustic toward everyone, and neither she nor Avery's mother will give an explanation for their strained relationship. Plunged into mysteries surrounding her relatives, Avery is expected to follow the family motto and "focus forward" while remaining frustrated that no one will provide answers about their past. Two classmates, an attractive Black next-door neighbor and the white heir of the richest family in town, encourage Avery to build a bond with her grandmother -- and as she does, she discovers that all of their families' pasts are intertwined. The novel addresses issues of race and sexuality head-on, along with questions of who should be memorialized. Third-person historical accounts of Bardell County are interspersed within Avery's first-person narration, and the pacing and structure lend themselves to a dynamic and astonishing conclusion. Eboni Njoku

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 15, 2022
Avery and her parents move to her mom's hometown to care for her ailing grandma. Lately 17-year-old Avery feels like she needs a change of scenery, a break from Washington, D.C., and her singular focus on early admittance to Georgetown. When Avery's mom, Zora, learns her mother is dying from cancer, she decides to move back home. After more than a decade away, Zora is not wholeheartedly embraced by Mama Letty. As a queer, biracial teen--Avery's mom is Black, and her dad is White--Avery's welcome in rural Bardell County, Georgia, population 9,127, is just as cold. Avery tries to understand what caused the rift between her mom and Mama Letty and what happened to her grandfather, but both women are reluctant to share. Avery befriends the pretty Black girl next door and the rich White girl whose family runs everything, and she discovers Bardell County is full of buried secrets. As in most small towns, everything and everyone is connected, and debut author Hammonds skillfully unpeels each layer of intrigue, keeping readers engaged until the last page. The tension between Mama Letty and Zora is complex and deep-seated, and the generational trauma revealed throughout is beautifully explored. Hammonds seamlessly weaves together mystery, romance, and a town's racist history, crafting a gripping and emotional story. A love story--romantic and familial--that is a must-read. (Fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from November 1, 2022
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Hammonds' absolutely stunning debut follows Avery, whose life is unexpectedly turned upside down when she learns that her estranged grandmother, Mama Letty, is dying. Her family packs up their lives in D.C. and moves to small-town Bardell, Georgia, to help Mama Letty find comfort in her final days. In Bardell, Avery makes new friends, repairs hurting relationships, and digs into the racist history that has had a lasting impact on her family. This thoughtful and well-crafted coming-of-age novel will grip the reader's attention from the beginning. Sympathetic Avery is fragile when she moves to Bardell--she doesn't know if her D.C. friends actually care about her, and she has just broken up with her first girlfriend--but her immediate friendships and her growing rapport with the standoffish Mama Letty allow her to grow and explore her wants and needs. With a focus on generational trauma and the often-complicated relationship between mothers and daughters, Hammonds excels in writing with vulnerability and capturing an authentic healing process. Bardell is a character in its own right, with a racist history that persists into the present day, as well as the nooks and crannies marginalized folks carved out for themselves where they could flourish. Written from a place of love and healing, Hammonds' definitive standout will stay with readers.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023
Seventeen-year-old Avery is convinced her family has made a huge mistake in moving from Washington, DC, to Bardell County, Georgia. Biracial and queer, Avery is not sure how she will be received in her mother's Southern hometown -- and if her grandmother is any indication, acceptance won't be easy. Elderly, ornery, and dying of cancer, Mama Letty is caustic toward everyone, and neither she nor Avery's mother will give an explanation for their strained relationship. Plunged into mysteries surrounding her relatives, Avery is expected to follow the family motto and "focus forward" while remaining frustrated that no one will provide answers about their past. Two classmates, an attractive Black next-door neighbor and the white heir of the richest family in town, encourage Avery to build a bond with her grandmother -- and as she does, she discovers that all of their families' pasts are intertwined. The novel addresses issues of race and sexuality head-on, along with questions of who should be memorialized. Third-person historical accounts of Bardell County are interspersed within Avery's first-person narration, and the pacing and structure lend themselves to a dynamic and astonishing conclusion.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)