Where You End

April 1, 2015
Reeling from heartbreak on a school field trip, Miriam deliberately pushes a valuable sculpture to the ground, and another girl sees her do it. Paloma, the girl who witnessed Miriam's act of destruction, confronts her afterward, asking a favor. Paloma has left her home for reasons she does not disclose, and she wants Miriam, a photographer, to go there and take pictures of her 3-year-old brother. As her blackmail-tinged connection to Paloma grows, Miriam grows more and more distant from her parents and her best friend, Adam. Miriam's pain ranges from the philosophical (her ex-boyfriend's acquiescence when his father dismisses art) to the bodily (nausea and insomnia) to the existential ("I know what nausea can mean for a girl who used to sleep with a boy"). The story falters, however, when interior details are withheld from readers. They are told that Miriam's sculpture-pushing and her sullenness at Shabbat dinner are out of character for her, but they don't see enough of her thoughts in the moment to make this declaration ring true. Miriam's parents arrange family meetings and counseling to discuss the changes in Miriam's behavior, but there is oddly little mention of the breakup that precipitated it. The language is evocative and atmospheric, though, and Paloma in particular is an unusual and compelling figure. Intriguing but frustratingly uneven. (Fiction. 14-18)

April 1, 2015

Gr 10 Up-The author uses multiple forms of art as a background to this story of a heartbroken girl struggling to find her way back to life and love. Miriam Feldman, avid photographer, has just broken up with brooding musician Elliot. Their relationship was passionate and exclusionary, blocking out everything and everyone else. Now, Miriam is pushing away friends and family as she struggles with depression and a demanding journey of self-rediscovery. She is exhibiting strange behaviors, such as sneaking out in the middle of the night to photograph interiors of stranger's houses and pushing over a Picasso statue on a school field trip. Miriam is determined to keep these actions secret until a mysterious runway girl, Paloma, appears. In exchange for her silence, Paloma tells Miriam to take a picture of Pablo, the brother she left behind. Miriam struggles to balance the forces pushing into her life-her long-time friend, Adam; her parents; and now Paloma. An emotional breakdown forges a reconnection between Miriam and her parents, sparking her to try to find Paloma and convince her to return home. Miriam's passion for art and existential self-exploration will resonate with older teen readers. Sexual situations are present; Pellicioli stresses emotional rather than physical aspects and repercussions. Miriam's struggles with interpersonal relationships are given life through actions instead of author-supplied explanation. Thoughtful descriptions, such as Miriam removing everything from her walls and painting her room a blue-green hue, convey the depth of her emotional turmoil. The conclusion avoids cliche, portraying a young woman surfacing from depression, realizing that growth is a process, not an endpoint. VERDICT A good choice for older readers ready to move beyond plot-driven novels.-Carrie Fox, South Park High School, PA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 It was a push, just a push, and all of a sudden, a Picasso sculpture is lying broken on the ground. Miriam doesn't know what came over hershe isn't in the habit of destroying priceless works of artbut her life feels a little bit broken after her relationship ended with her boyfriend, Elliott. Fleeing from the scene, Miriam thinks she has escaped detection, but her crime hasn't gone unnoticed: a girl Miriam's age saw her push the statue. As Miriam delves further into her personal darkness, her parents try repeatedly to connect with her to find out what is going on in her life. Multiple story lines are interwoven in this tale of self-discovery and healing, including her understated concern about pregnancy as she grapples with her sexual relationship with Elliott. Miriam is well drawn, and the relationship with her parents is complex and believable. This is a well-crafted debut that speaks to the agony of love gone wrong, making Pellicioli an author to watch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)