Letting Go of Gravity

May 1, 2018

Gr 7 Up-Parker has known that she wanted to be a doctor ever since her twin brother, Charlie, was diagnosed with leukemia when they were nine years old. Graduating valedictorian, getting accepted to Harvard, and landing a competitive pediatric oncology summer internship at the hospital make her decision a foregone conclusion. Parker's dream is to save people like Charlie. So why, then, does the thought of entering the hospital for her internship send her into paroxysms of anxiety? With two new friends challenging her idea of what's expected of her (one of them the handsome and artistic Finn Casper), Parker carves a new path and accepts a job at a ceramics studio. Coming to terms with what she wants in life is hard enough-how will she ever tell her parents? A poignant and carefully crafted story about growing up with the added complication of cancer. Even when in remission, cancer wrecks havoc on Charlie and his family and friends. A compelling coming-of-age novel sure to appeal to those who love realistic fiction. VERDICT Recommended for YA collections.-Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2018
Parker McCullough has just graduated as valedictorian, but the moment is bittersweet. Her twin brother, Charlie, is not sitting with their class, instead repeating his senior year thanks to his leukemia. Charlie isn't sure how to handle life after remission, and Parker isn't sure how to handle a future she doesn't want. Sure, she worked her butt off to get into Harvard and land that prestigious internship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital--but now the thought of becoming a doctor makes her feel sick. Fortunately, Ruby, a rising junior, becomes Parker's new friend, and she reconnects with childhood classmate Finn, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Talking to Finn makes her brave enough to do what she wants, leaving the internship and working at a pottery studio, where, like clay on a wheel, she finally starts to take shape. These lifelike characters are perfectly imperfect in the face of their own challenges, whether that is physical abuse, cancer, or internal emotional struggles, with none presented as being of greater value than any other. Parker's best friend Emerson is a lesbian, and Parker suffers from anxiety. Major characters are white other than Ruby, who is African-American, and there is ethnic diversity in the community.For readers who love and appreciate a good coming-of-age story, a realistic romance, and a novel where every character gets to be a hero. (Fiction. 14-adult)

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May 28, 2018
When the McCullough twins were in fourth grade, Charlie got leukemia, and his sister, Parker, decided that the best way to keep everyone happy was to announce that she would become a doctor. Now, at 18, Charlie is recovering from a relapse, and while Parker has been accepted by Harvard and lined up a great summer internship, she also starts having panic attacks and wondering if all the work she’s put in has been worth it. Amid the tension, the once-closer-than-close siblings can barely tolerate each other. Over the summer, Parker gradually finds out what she actually likes to do when she isn’t fixated on getting a perfect GPA; she makes a new friend and reconnects with Finn, her recently returned childhood best friend. The complications and dangers surrounding Finn’s life form a strong part of the book, which can otherwise feel a bit slow. But Leder (The Museum of Heartbreak) effectively shows how illness affects families and how a person can get stuck acting out a persona and end up knowing very little about herself. Ages 12–up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

May 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 Ever since her twin brother, Charlie, was diagnosed with leukemia in fourth grade, Parker has vowed to become a doctor. She's even earned a competitive, coveted internship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital the summer before she starts at Harvard. But on her mind more than anything is the weight of everyone's expectations: Now that it's in front of me, I'm terrified. I don't know if I want to be a doctor. And I don't know who I am without that. To boot, Charlie has been acting erratic and reckless after his latest bout with cancer. In the midst of questioning her future and worrying about Charlie, Parker reconnects with Finn Casper, an old friend who hides a devastating secret. The anticipation and slow burn of Parker and Finn's relationship is electric. Leder gracefully emphasizes self-reflection, self-care, and the reality of exploring other options after high school. Honest dialogue and vividly rendered characters are the real stars of this absorbing novel that will appeal to fans of Rainbow Rowell.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)