Little Wrecks

April 1, 2017
Three teen girls come of age during the late 1970s, experiencing and reacting to a culture of threatening misogyny.Isabel describes the white threesome's friendship in relationship to their Long Island seashore hometown, noting their shared understanding that the three are not "supposed to be here. They all know it, and that's why they get each other; that's why they're friends." Readers may find this puzzling, because the town has charming features, making the friends' daydreams of leaving initially seem like teenage wanderlust. But soon readers see all three subjected to groping at a doughnut shop and physically threatened by men in an alley, and one is brutally date raped. The misogyny continues as Isabel realizes her boyfriend's expectations of sex: "She is supposed to resist. He is supposed to have to force her." Ruth observes her mother's series of abusive boyfriends and understands the open secret that her father is likely a married man in town, a fact for which only her mother seems to receive condemnation. When Magda's father physically attacks her in public even the witnessing police officers refuse to acknowledge it. The girls' resulting feelings of powerlessness and simmering anger occasionally erupt in ways that can't be condoned but that clearly stem from the daily injustices forced upon them. Darkly thought-provoking reflections on modern gender politics. (Historical fiction. 14-adult)

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June 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Ruth, Magda, and Isabel are best friends, connected by their dislike of living in Highbone, a small coastal town in Long Island, NY. The girls have relationships with boys in town but long to leave their empty lives behind. They eventually hatch a plot to steal marijuana from a local dealer. They hope to use the profits to make their grand escape, but things are not quite as easy as they initially appear. The seemingly perfect crime begins to drive a wedge among Ruth, Magda, and Isabel that they may not be able to repair. Debut novelist Miller has crafted a fairly successful, dynamic coming-of-age tale about growing up in a small town. However, the narrative suffers from a lack of momentum throughout. It is also fairly easy to confuse the three protagonists-especially in the first half of the story. The author uses colorful metaphors to help readers visualize the characters' dissatisfaction and angst. While the comparisons are beautifully descriptive, they keep the story from moving forward. VERDICT A supplemental purchase for libraries looking for additional coming-of-age titles with multiple female protagonists.-Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In the the 1970s, three disillusioned teens commit a crime to fund their escape from Highbone, a small town filled with emotional pain and sexism hiding in plain sight. Narrator Khristine Hvam's talent for balancing youthful optimism with impending dread is the perfect fit for Miller's poetic prose. Hvam creates a belligerent and authoritative tone for the trio's leader, Magda, who is secretly caught in a cycle of abuse. The reckless Isabel is given a bright high-pitched tone even when her actions turn deadly. Hvam excels at portraying the anxieties and fears of Ruth--the pretty girl trapped in her own dark thoughts. The narration is tied together with a "spaced-out" drawl that fits the time period and makes the slang sound natural and relatable. J.E.C. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

May 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 Magda, Ruth, and Isabel are simmering with anger over their circumstances in their small town on Long Island in the 1970s. Magda drowns out her alcoholic father's abuse by fixing things. Reckless Isabel dreams of escaping the dead-end town full of men with wandering hands. Ruth silently seethes over her mother's new boyfriend, while worrying over the state of her own sanity. For years now, the three girls have remained in a tight orbit, protecting and supporting each other, but fissures are starting to appear in their connections, and they spiral away from one anotherRuth seeking revenge, Isabel lashing out in anger, and Magda seeking comfort from someone just as bad as her father. Miller's gauzy, breathy narrative dips in and out of each girl's perspective, enough that they sometimes blend together, but by the end, each character has started to crystallize into something more distinct. The languorous pacing and indirect storytelling might frustrate fans of plot-driven narratives, but readers who adore lyrical, character-driven fiction with a gritty edge will find plenty to love here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)