About a Girl--A Novel

Starred review from May 1, 2015
Tally, the scientist daughter of now-vanished Aurora from All Our Pretty Songs (2013), leaves her cozy New York home in search of blood family. Just before her 18th birthday, Tally's best friend, Shane, delights and then devastates her by sleeping with her, then seeming to ignore her. A rationalist-unlike the sage-smudging, herb-sprinkling family who raised her-Tally is disgusted by her feelings. Visiting her neighbor Mr. M., she sees her mother's face in an old picture of musician Jack Blake and begins to wonder if Jack is her father. Tally's decision to travel to Jack's remote Pacific Northwest town without making advance plans or warning anyone that she is leaving is almost joltingly sudden. Her arrival, however, plunges readers into a lush and sometimes-spooky small-town setting, a place haunted by the bloodiest figures of Greek mythology, where the present is supernaturally easy to forget. Although Tally means to get answers, she is quickly drawn into an all-consuming affair with Maddy, a larger-than-life woman she meets at the town's only bar. Some plot elements, like Mr. M.'s almost-literal deus ex machina and the smooth resolution with Shane, feel hasty, but Tally's growth throughout is palpable, and the language-whether describing sex or music or nightmares-is breathtaking. Fluid and aching, with a diverse cast and rich worldbuilding. (Urban fantasy. 14-18)

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Starred review from June 1, 2015

Gr 10 Up-The conclusion to the "Metamorphoses" trilogy (St. Martin's) follows Tally to a small town outside of Seattle where she seeks out her maybe-father to learn more about her past and her family. The place feels full of magic and people who intrigue her. Tally has a hard time thinking straight here, and her dreams are filled with vivid and terrifying images of blood. She falls for the mysterious Maddy, a girl who seems to hold the answers to her many questions. Based loosely on the story of Jason and the Argonauts, the protagonist's journey reveals far more about her family than she could have imagined. Maddy keeps saying "no pasts," but as Tally learns, the past is everywhere-the past is then and now. The stunning, densely packed story is full of as much intoxicating poetry as meticulous scientific explanations. Tally's initial prim and rather academic narration becomes richer and more dreamlike as her story unfolds. This edgy, smart, and challenging title combines mythology, punk rock, science, a quest, feminism, art, dreams, and the power of stories and storytelling with unforgettable results. The well-developed cast of characters is racially and sexually diverse. The emphasis on the importance of female relationships-as family, as lovers, and as friends-is a welcome exploration of the many levels of intimacy. The book can be read as a stand-alone, but will certainly send new readers looking for the previous books in the series. VERDICT A highly recommended and breathtakingly read for sophisticated readers.-Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Apollo High School Library, St. Cloud, MN

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 McCarry's final installment in the Metamorphoses series follows Tally, daughter of Aurora from All Our Pretty Songs (2013), as she travels to a remote corner of Washington to track down a man she thinks is her father. Tally grew up in New York City, where her household of two gay not-dads and a sometimes-gay not-mom doesn't even rate a raised eyebrow. An aspiring astronomer, she believes in disciplined rationalism, which makes her decision to run away to the Olympic Peninsula extra surprising. Once there, she's in unfamiliar territory, falling in love with an alluring girl, dredging up unexpected emotions about her mother, and trying to sort out her feelings for Shane, her transsexual best friend back home. As in other books in the trilogy, McCarry inflects the Pacific Northwest setting with Greek mythology, weaving ancient magic throughout Tally's story and adding an enchanting dose of magic realism. Tally's imagistic, melodic narrative roils with urgent emotion, and readers who loved the first two installments in the series will be richly rewarded by this series ender.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)