A Certain October

Narrator Harlie Vaughn portrays teens facing tragedy in East Cleveland with realism and exuberance. This rich coming-of-age story features high school junior Scotty and her close circle of gay and straight friends. Launched into action with the wacky antics of Scotty's autistic younger brother, Keone, the story moves to unexpected depths. Vaughn's portrayal of Scotty shifts perfectly from sarcastic to somber to optimistic. Adult characters, often given short shrift in teen fiction, are well defined by Vaughn's portrayal of Scotty's soft-spoken father and resolute stepmother as well as her friend's well-intentioned, forceful aunts. Scotty's physical and emotional pain following a cataclysmic accident, as well as her grief, sexual awakening, and growing maturity, are all reflected subtly in Vaughn's storytelling. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Starred review from August 20, 2012
Three-time Coretta Scott King Awardâwinner Johnson (Heaven) pens a story of dazzling immediacy set in Cleveland. Her keenly observant narrator, Scotty, 16, divides her days between attending school, dealing with her autistic younger brother, Keone; and hanging out with her friends Falcone and Misha at the Endangered Species Cafe. Scotty's chief concerns are planning for the upcoming homecoming dance and making a trip to visit Falcone's sister, Gina, who became a mother figure to Scotty after her mother died. But Scotty's world is turned upside down when she's in a train crash that kills three students, including her very recent crush, and puts Keone in a coma. Dazed, Scotty suffers from survivor's guilt ("Half of Keone's bones are broken. I got bruises and a twisted knee. Life is stupid"), fantasizing ways the crash could have been avoided. Realistic dialogue and a cast of vibrant characters give lively texture to Johnson's nonlinear narrative. Through minimal exposition and Scotty's singular voice, Johnson gracefully explores life's defining moments, whether painful or bittersweet, and how the world carries on, even when everything has changed. Ages 14âup.