The Impossible Vastness of Us

April 15, 2017
A poor California girl finds her world turned upside down when her mother marries into the Boston ultrarich.At the beginning of her junior year on California's central coast, India is popular and well-liked, but her mother, Hayley, has fallen in love with a high-society lawyer from the opposite coast, which wrenches her away from everything she knows. From Day 1, Theo's daughter, Eloise, makes it very clear that India's an unwelcome intruder both in Theo's mansion and at Eloise's exclusive prep school. Flashback nightmares reveal an India who was horrifically abused for much of her childhood while Hayley was absent, leaving her with trust issues as massive as her palatial new home. Befriending Eloise's blue-blooded social group teaches class-conscious India that poor kids who grew up in trailers are not the only ones with problems; rich white prep school kids have their own traumas (India's race goes unmentioned, implying that she is white; Eloise is white). India experiences a powerful journey to self-love and self-respect in the face of both classism and sexual entitlement, but she is so thinly drawn she's hardly real. The choppy prose of her journey from public high school student who can only afford takeout three times a year to mansion-dwelling prep school attendee in Massachusetts boils down to a focus on high-end architecture. A coming-of-age journey that would be strong if only it starred a believable teen. (Fiction. 14-17)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 10 Up-This well-layered novel is about India, whose life is turned upside down when her mom moves her across the country to live with her new fiance. India goes from a small apartment to one of the biggest houses in the neighborhood but is still afraid that her peers think of her as "trash." While finding herself and living in a new city with a new family, the protagonist also comes to terms with a dark past and tries to move forward once and for all. This story is told from India's point of view, enabling readers to get inside her head. Though most of the book takes place in present day, there are flashbacks of India's past, which illustrate how she arrived at her current situation. This coming-of-age novel will appeal to readers who are in a time of change or feel a sense of flux in their lives. Seeing how India handles her transition and attempts to make her life the best it can be will resonate with those experiencing similar upheavals. With plenty of romance and some humor, this tale is a quick read. VERDICT A solid contemporary YA debut that will attract the author's teen romance fans. Give to fans of Kasie West and Sarah Dessen.-Tegan Anclade, Lake Villa District Library, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 For India Maxwell, beauty, intelligence, and drive have earned her a place at the top of the popularity chain at her California high school. Which is why it's so devastating when India's mother, Hayley, announces her engagement to a wealthy lawyer, necessitating an immediate move to Boston. At India's new school, everyone is rich and privileged, including India's stepsister-to-be, Eloise, and Eloise's disturbingly attractive boyfriend, Finn. Their cold rejection triggers India's worst memories of a time when Hayley left the family, leaving India to suffer the abuse of her father. But it turns out that both Eloise and Finn are harboring their own heartaches. India is an engaging character, adept at hiding her demons behind a smart and sassy persona. She admirably navigates the snobbery of her new schoolmates while remaining empathetic to their real problems. A luscious romance will please many readers. Like Julie Buxbaum's Tell Me Three Things (2016), this novel portrays a vulnerable character thrust into the intense environment of an elite private school, determined not just to survive but to thrive.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)