Final Draft

Starred review from May 15, 2018
Eighteen-year-old high school senior Laila Piedra is determined to write the best sci-fi story ever. Her kind, gentle, albeit anemic, white creative writing teacher, Mr. Madison, offers her constant positive feedback after class. Her friends African-American Leo Major, Korean-American Hannah Park, and Puerto Rican Felix Martinez meet regularly to watch The Rest, a long-running sci-fi show. At home, her Ecuadorian dad, French-Canadian mom, and annoying 13-year-old sister, Camille, rarely get in the way. Laila sees her senior year going smoothly until a tragic accident places Mr. Madison in the hospital and the enigmatic Pulitzer Prize-winning Ukrainian author Nadiya Nazarenko becomes the substitute. Suddenly, Laila's writing is not good enough to earn a passing grade. When Nazarenko suggests that Laila live a little, she realizes how much time she spends inhabiting worlds other than her own. As Laila awkwardly attempts to gain new experiences, she learns that the world is not a draft that can be revised again and again. She stumbles, makes mistakes, and crashes a few times along the way to finding out who she is and who will accept her. This is a gorgeous novel with diverse characters of different ethnicities and sexualities that are true to life in their messiness and earnest missteps. Redgate (Noteworthy, 2016, etc.) treats each character with care, gently guiding them through uncomfortable situations and tender, heartfelt moments.Final Draft hits every mark: A must-read. (Fiction. 14-18)

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June 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-Laila wants to be a writer more than anything. She loves science fiction and is writing her very first novel that she'll only show to her writing instructor. He encourages her to share it with her friends, but she is reluctant. When her instructor gets into an accident, her world is upended as the substitute, a famous author, becomes harshly critical of her writing. She claims her work lacks verve and suggests that Laila go out and experience life. Laila does things she would never normally do-goes to parties, gets a fake ID, and takes risks-all in the hopes of bringing more to her stories. The protagonist is half Ecuadorian and half French Canadian; she is also pansexual and plus sized. Many of the characters in the book also come from different backgrounds and sexual orientations. While the writing is very well done, the formatting can be strange sometimes when depicting the story that Laila has written (there is no spacing between the words). Redgate's engaging style draws readers in, and the main character will resonate with young people. VERDICT A recommended purchase for YA shelves, especially where Redgate has fans.-Kristin Joy Anderson, Bloomingdale Public Library, IL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 Laila Piedra is as well-behaved as they come: her hobbies consist mainly of writing sci-fi stories and watching a cult TV show with her friends. Her creative writing teacher is nothing but supportive, and he encourages Laila to take pride in her work. When an accident puts him out of commission for the rest of Laila's senior year, however, Laila suddenly finds herself at the mercy of Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize winner who is thoroughly unimpressed by her students. Laila is unexpectedly tasked with learning how to be present in her own life. That means taking a few risks and having a few adventures, but it also means exploring her sexuality?coming to terms with not just who she's attracted to but with the fact that she has sexual feelings at all. Redgate (Noteworthy, 2017) offers up an intensely focused portrait of a girl who, through first love and first loss, begins to find the story she wants to tell. For many cautious teens, watching Laila come into her own will be a triumph.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)