The First to Know

October 1, 2017
The DNA sequencing Dana secretly obtained for her dad was supposed to be his best birthday present ever--now, it threatens to tear her family apart. Unlike her Latina mom, blessed with a large Mexican family and rich cultural heritage, biracial Dana's white dad was raised in foster homes, his ancestry a blank. Injuries ended his dream of a career playing baseball. He was further crushed when Selena, Dana's athletically talented older sister, abandoned sports in college. Less talented but more motivated, Dana's a star of her Arizona high school softball team that he coaches but also keenly aware hard work won't make her another Selena. The DNA report leads to the revelation that their dad fathered a son outside marriage after Selena's birth. When Dana's attempts to forge a relationship with their half brother, Brandon, are rebuffed, a chance meeting with his olive-skinned cousin Chase opens a way for Dana to know Brandon vicariously even as she falls for Chase himself. The pace drags when Dana obsesses over when, how, and to whom to tell the secrets piling up, but top-notch characters, including minor players like Samoan Nick, Dana's admirer whose shyness provokes her affection and guilt, sustain reader interest. There's love, competition, and jealousy among siblings and friends; the compromises and accommodations of marriage; the petty issues that grate and the messy, mixed motives everyone brings to the table--all unfold in lively, complex scenes. A smart, heartfelt tale that's more than its nifty high concept. (Fiction. 13-17)

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December 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-An easy and entertaining realistic YA tale. Ambitious 17-year-old softball player Dana Fields plans to surprise her dad with "the birthday presents of all birthday presents." En route to the surprise, Dana discovers a brother that no one knew about. Readers are introduced to Dana's struggle with handling this news among her family and handling her newfound sibling, who also comes with a love interest. As all the information comes to the surface, the protagonist must find the right words and approach to keep all the important relationships in her life together. Dana is a character many teens can find pieces of themselves in, and the challenges she experiences and overcomes make her a relatable protagonist. All the characters are brought to life with nuanced depiction. Filled with drama, the narrative has notes of comedy, romance, and an underlying softball theme, which makes it accessible for all kinds of readers. Young people will find the ending heartwarming and satisfying. VERDICT An overall enjoyable choice for realistic fiction collections.-David Roberts, Salem Public Library, OH

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