The Heartbeats of Wing Jones

January 23, 2017
Believing that she has no particular talent of her own, half black, half Chinese Atlanta teen Wing Jones lives in the shadow of Marcus, her football-star older brother. All that changes the night Marcus kills two people while driving drunk, and is left in a coma. Juggling anger, sadness, and guilty relief that her brother survived, Wing finds solace in late-night runs. When Marcus’s best friend Aaron (whom Wing secretly loves) spots her circling the high school track, he’s amazed by her speed and wants to bring her into the spotlight. Soon, Wing is on the track team, winning one race after another. In a story showing how hope and love can blossom in the midst of chaos, first-time author Webber explores Wing’s challenges to be a winner as her family—overwhelmed by mounting bills, criminal charges against Marcus, and the uncertainty of his fate—begins to crumble. Readers caught up in the tension of the story, set in 1995, are unlikely to be bothered by the improbability of Wing’s speedy climb to the top. Ages 12–up. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White.

December 15, 2016
In 1995 Atlanta, a mixed-race girl finds a way to stand out on her own terms. Wing and her brother, Marcus, attract attention because they're half Chinese, half black. While Marcus is a football hero, Wing suffers bullying from a mean girl and secretly pines for Aaron, Marcus' best friend, a black boy. Everything changes when Marcus, while driving drunk, kills two people and falls into a coma. Wing feels completely alone; neither her mother nor her grandmothers, LaoLao and Granny Dee, seem to know what to do. So Wing starts running in secret, prodded by her imaginary dragon and lioness, which she has not seen since her father died. She feels free when she runs, as though she can outrun all her mixed emotions. When Aaron finds out, he encourages Wing, and they grow closer even as the situation at home worsens. A running sponsorship could save her family--but in trying to chase that sponsorship, will Wing lose the one thing that makes her feel free? The choice of time period feels unjustified--this story could have been equally true in 2016--and the device of the dragon and lioness feels forced. Nevertheless, Wing's sense of isolation is well-captured, and her grief and confusion are raw and moving. Overall, a solid debut. (Historical fiction. 14-16)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-Set in 1990s Atlanta, this realistic coming-of-age novel, touched with magical realism, is full of diverse and strong female characters. Bullied for her looks, Wing Jones, who is half-Chinese and half-black, doesn't stand out like her golden-boy brother, Marcus, a football star. After a night of drinking, though, Marcus causes a car accident that kills two people and leaves him in a coma. Unable to sleep as she worries about Marcus and her life on the brink of poverty, particularly after Marcus's medical bills start arriving, Wing begins to find escape by running at night. Aaron, Marcus's best friend and Wing's longtime crush, is also a runner, and after he discovers Wing's new pursuit, he encourages her to join the school's track team. Running gives her the courage to embrace herself, and she is finally able to step out of her brother's shadow and feel acceptance and accomplishment. Wing's heartbreaking family backstory is revealed early on and explains why her father is not in the picture. Living with her mother and both grandmothers, Wing is surrounded by female role models with take-charge attitudes. Written in Wing's believable first-person voice, the novel conveys the teen's perspective of the changing world around her as the plot moves quickly along. Recommend this to fans of Jandy Nelson's and Stephanie Perkins's books. VERDICT Many teens will connect with this original debut about family, love, and the courage to stand up to life's challenges. A general purchase for all libraries.-Laura Jones, Argos Community Schools, IN

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.