Thirteen-year-old Alex Eager lives with her grandmother; her mother died right after she was born, and her father lives with his new wife. Alex is happy that her best friend PJ is now her girlfriend. She’s also active with the Youth Council at her local library, where her grandmother worked until retirement. But Alex’s world shifts when PJ and her two moms move out of town to be closer to a better swimming facility for the athletic PJ, and it changes even more when her grandmother’s memory and ability to care for herself, much less Alex, seem to be faltering. On top of all that, the library where Alex spends much time might be facing funding cuts and have to close.
As all this unfolds, old secrets are revealed that cause Alex to reassess what she thought she knew about her family, even as her grandmother’s progressing dementia brings Alex into greater contact with her father, his wife, and their kids. We see the rough edges as the family members interact under these new circumstances, but there are no real villains here, just people with human flaws and foibles.
I like that author Sara Ryan establishes their protagonist’s queer relationship right from the start so we can watch it evolve. In contrast, many other books focus on whether the relationship will start in the first place. Both approaches are useful, but we could use more of the former. Here, we see not only some of the bumps involved in keeping a relationship going, but also how the relationship becomes a source of support as Alex navigates her family issues and learns to adapt to change. It’s sweet and lovely.
A secondary theme of the many ways a public library can be a resource for its community feels thoughtful, wide-ranging, and authentic (Ryan is a former librarian), going beyond the obvious (though admittedly important) factor of libraries being a resource for queer youth.
The first-person narrative and Alex’s sometimes stream-of-consciousness thoughts help create a well-drawn and relatable protagonist. Alex is also self-described as “fat,” and while that isn’t a primary focus of the book, Ryan weaves in moments and interactions that make it clear Alex is aware of the negative ways people often respond to fat people, even though she is usually comfortable with her size.
The conclusion to this story of family change and family found (and re-found) feels satisfying, although some threads remain untidy in the way that life sometimes is. A recommended title.
Alex, her family, and PJ read as White; two significant characters are Latino/a. A two-man couple also plays a significant role, but to say more would be to give spoilers.
