Legacy

May 15, 2018
Can a group of young adults make a difference when it comes to protecting an area from environmental disaster?Alison feels like she has no one in the world but her boyfriend, Jeff. After her brother, Andy, dies in a drunken driving accident for which Alison feels responsible, her parents fall apart, and she turns to her brother's friends for comfort, which comes in the form of sex. School isn't much better. Alison doesn't fit in with the crowd and has gained a rough reputation because of the aforementioned sex with her brother's friends. But when she and Jeff join a Free State, an activist community of people trying to save old-growth Douglas fir trees from being cleared, she finally feels a part of something larger than herself. Even as relationship problems and tragedy plague Alison and her allies, they stay committed to their purpose. A somewhat overly earnest narrative offers white-presenting characters that often feel dichotomous and flat. The pacing is energetic for most of the book yet fizzles toward the end. Discussions about the potential futility of saving a tiny patch of forest feel staged, and Alison's guilt over her brother's death and redemption through activism explore no new ground.A tepid book with goals as lofty as a Douglas fir. (Fiction. 14-18)

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July 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-Alison has always come second to her seemingly perfect brother, Andy, who is charming and makes a good impression without even having to try. After a split-second decision and a drunk-driving accident take his life, Alison finds her own life just as dark as the city of Tacoma. Her mother is in denial and spends her days mourning the loss of her son, and Alison's father has disappeared, leaving her to deal with her misplaced guilt and without any supervision. Alison runs away with her punk-rocker boyfriend and his friend Dirtrat. At Dirtrat's suggestion, they head toward a Free State occupation in a Washington State forest where they have a place to crash for the night. But as Alison learns more about saving the forest and finds that she truly has a voice of her own, she must decide what she's willing to risk to fight for what she believes in. VERDICT Girl power and the right of resistance of the 1990s make this book a relevant choice for readers looking to have a say in the world and affect change.-Stephanie Wilkes, Good Hope Middle School, West Monroe, LA

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