Saving Montgomery Sole

Small-town life can be rough, even in easygoing California, and 16-year-old Monty Sole, experiences it up close--not only as the daughter of two moms but also because of her interest in the unexplained mysteries of the world (like psychic powers). Narrator Rebecca Lowman's soft tones and youthful cadence highlight Monty's struggles to understand the high school social scene, homophobia, and the mixed messages of evangelical Christianity. Lowman's use of distinct voices for the dialogue and a change in inflection for texts and websites serves as guideposts for the listener in this coming-of-age story about learning to be comfortable with who you are and accepting the impossibility of completely eliminating intolerance. This audiobook, with its realistic portrayals of LGBTQ issues, is appropriate for all ages. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Starred review from January 25, 2016
In a quietly assured story, Tamaki (This One Summer) introduces Montgomery Sole, the 16-year-old daughter of lesbian mothers and the president of her school’s “mystery club,” which consists of Montgomery discussing topics like ESP and healing crystals with her friends Thomas and Naoki. When a preacher from a hyperbolic, homophobic church à la Westboro Baptist moves into her small California town, Montgomery is nervous that his son, a fellow student, will single her out for having gay parents. Alongside this anxiety is her recent online purchase of the Eye of Know, a $5.99 amulet that purports to be a “portal to vision untold.” When Montgomery’s flashes of anger starting having mysterious effects on her targets, she begins to believe that the amulet might be responsible. Montgomery’s interest in the supernatural, along with her thirst to understand the unknowable, parallels her often-fruitless efforts to understand her classmates, her younger sister, and her own identity. Montgomery’s slow confrontation with reality creates a realistic, satisfying arc, and Tamaki’s economical storytelling results in dimensional characters whose struggles feel viscerally real. Ages 12–up. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency.