On the last night of summer camp, new friends Tasha, Raelynn, Claire, and Billie almost get caught eating ice cream in the camp’s walk-in freezer. When they escape, they credit their success to the pink boa Tasha found and gave to Billie to keep warm. Once back in their own separate homes for the year, they mail the boa back and forth so that its purported magic can help them each with their challenges.
Tasha, who was adopted by two dads, is struggling with the arrival of her cousin Jillian, who is genetically related to Papa and looks like him. Is he favoring her over Tasha? And will Jillian’s unruly dog keep wrecking havoc in their home? Raelynn is trying to define herself separately from her fraternal twin, and to be her anime- and video-game-loving self even though that doesn’t make her popular. Claire tiptoes around her father’s anger, misses her mother who is working multiple jobs, and feels shame about her family’s financial insecurity. Billie feels pressure from his father to be a hockey star like his older brothers, but he’s really more interested in theater—and discovers a new love of figure skating, which he tries to keep hidden. (There are hints that Billie might be gay, too, although this is not made clear; given the obvious setup for more books in the series, this feels like patient character building rather than coyness. I have a sneaking suspicion Claire might also be queer.)
The book alternates the four protagonists’ stories throughout the school year, until the first night of the next camp season, effectively building suspense and allowing for character growth. Texts among the group keep them connected during the year. With each others’ support—and a little of the boa’s magic—they all might be okay in the end.
While we’ve seen a similar plot device before in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this is an original twist on it for middle grade readers, with a group of distinct and relatable characters and a happily vague take on whether the boa really is magic or just inspires the four to find confidence within themselves. A recommended title.
Tasha, Claire, and Billie read as White, and Raelynn as Black.
