The Voice in My Head

April 15, 2019
A dysfunctional family sets off on a road trip after God speaks directly to one of them. Indigo Phillips is not coping well with her terminally ill sister's plan for assisted suicide and, in her grief, tries to kill herself. The African-American teen cries out to God in despair--and hears an answer. After she wakes up in the hospital, God proceeds to urge her to persuade her family to go on a road trip from their Seattle home to the Wave rock formation in Arizona, promising that her twin, Violet, will be cured if they reach it. The road trip includes Michelle, their controlling, know-it-all big sister; her husband, Drew, a Colville Indian man; their two spirited children; the twins' brother; their parents; and the family's white pastor from their nondenominational New Age church. The course of the road trip reveals a host of underlying issues the family members have yet to make peace with. Violet and Indigo's parents' behavior can come across as avoidant, as their continual joking deflects engagement with some of the serious topics raised, including Indigo's suicidality. Davis (Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now, 2018) takes readers on an emotional, heartbreaking journey that may feel predictable at times but addresses strong themes that will resonate with many readers. Family connection, religious exploration, and death with dignity form the beating heart of this moving novel. (Fiction. 14-adult)

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May 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Davis's second YA novel set in Seattle follows 18-year-old black twins Indigo and Violet and their chaotic family on an unlikely road trip. While attempting suicide, Indigo hears a voice say that her terminally ill twin Violet will live if she hikes the Wave, a 2.5-mile scenic rock formation in the Arizona desert. Unsure whether the voice is God or a symptom of a concussion, Indigo bravely pleads with her family before plans for Violet's medically assisted death unfold. Thanks to a resourceful pastor, Jedidiah, everything falls in place allowing the family to set off in a rainbow-colored paratransport bus covered in eyeballs. Jedediah, the twins, their retired parents, 16-year-old brother Alfred, and 33-year-old sister Michelle, as well as Michelle's husband and biracial children, are a motley group of passengers, seeking healing for Violet's pulmonary fibrosis. From kidney stones to an attempted robbery with a paintball gun, there is never a dull moment for the Phillips family. Indigo's perspective on herself and her family changes along the way, giving her acceptance and hope. The writing is refreshing and the characters relatable. Though the novel tackles the heavy subject matter of terminal illness, mental health, and death, lighthearted, comical scenes make for a heartfelt, entertaining read. VERDICT Readers of realistic fiction will enjoy the sibling banter, unique characters, and authentic dialogue.-Laura Jones, Argos Community Schools, IN

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2019
Grades 9-12 Indigo Phillips, 18, can't cope with the prospect of losing her identical twin, Violet, who is terminally ill and has chosen to die with dignity, on her own terms. After a failed attempt to take her own life, Indigo starts hearing a Dave Chappelle-like voice that claims to be God. The Voice persuades Indigo that taking a trip to a far-flung site in Arizona will help her twin live, so the boisterous Phillips family sets off in a rattling bus owned and driven by Pastor Jedidiah, a cheerful, nondenominational preacher. From Seattle to Arizona, the chaotic and close-knit African American family of nine and Jedidiah deal with innumerable glitches, an uncomfortable overnight experience, and an unlawful incident or two. Along the way, Indigo finds the courage to lead and gains insight into her unique family. The Voice has a nonreligious, easygoing attitude that provides laughs and lightens the anticipation of a teen's medically assisted death. Meanwhile, the trip itself helps highlight what positive thinking and a little faith in oneself can yield.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)