What Goes Up

June 1, 2020
A teenage girl reflects on the months and moments that led up to a drunken night. Jorie is a high schooler who loves science and has a penchant for the study of mushrooms. We meet her the morning after she got drunk at a party and passed out in the bed of a stranger. Jorie then spends the novel trying to understand where she is, with whom, how she came to be in this situation, and how to get out of it. We learn of Jorie's mixed feelings toward her parents and her complicated relationship with them, her friends, and her recent ex-boyfriend as well as her budding relationship with her art, which springs from her love of mushrooms. Heppermann uses verse to deconstruct and build up plot points in a skilled manner and keeps the pacing interesting and unpredictable--albeit sometimes jarring--throughout. The format and use of metaphors serves the story well. However, elements of Jorie's present-day state of being could have been delved into more deeply but instead were left unexplored. The novel presents seemingly high-stakes conflicts that are wrapped up with quick resolutions that therefore ultimately read as anticlimactic. An absence of physical descriptions makes characters' races difficult to determine. A quick and engaging read that may end up leaving readers just short of satisfied. (Verse novel. 12-18)

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July 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Jorie's free verse narrative begins at a party where she gets drunk, ditches her friends and boyfriend, and wakes up in a bunk bed with an R2-D2 waste basket. (The owner of both bunk and basket is sleeping on the floor.) The next part recounts the events leading up to the party: her father's affair with a colleague; her mother giving him another chance, much to Jorie's displeasure; and how Jorie tries to tell her mother about a letter from the woman, hidden in her parents' bedroom. If everything isn't resolved in the aftermath of the party, at least Jorie is more sure of her direction. Heppermann's verse is clear and accessible, laced with humor and teen self-deprecation. Jorie is a delight: she ties in facts about mushrooms, spore prints, and sloths, among other things, to the events, offering insight into her thoughts and feelings. At times, she makes her point with delicious subtlety, while at others, she gets right in the reader's face. Either way, this engaging, provocative narrative will please fans of character-driven fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

August 14, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Everyone has their hobbies: For Hudson Valley 11th-grader Jorie, it's making art with mushroom spores. Her interests in nature, poetry, and print-making are also how she processes the things that happen to her, like her breakup with her boyfriend, Ian, and her dad cheating on her mom. Framed by the aftermath of a momentous party where Jorie gets drunk and hooks up with Ian's friend, this novel in verse traces the origins of Jorie's problems, showing readers how they mushroom into more than she can handle alone. Jorie tells her story through short, light poetry that often plays with form. Standouts include "Boots," "Scientific Proof," and "9:06 am," all of which exemplify the insight and subtle humor that is characteristic throughout. Most of the time, the novel succeeds in balancing its multiple plot lines, though the party relinquishes its status as the story's pivotal moment when Jorie's dad's affair takes over instead. The book also attempts to interrogate toxic relationships and catcalling, but sometimes issues like Jorie's ability to consent to her hookup are simply dropped or ignored. The ending therefore does not coalesce as well as it could, but it handles the complexity of Jorie's parents' actions in a nuanced and thought-provoking way. Characters' appearances aren't described. VERDICT This novel would be most suitable for hi-lo readers drawn to the intersection of science and art.-Gina Elbert, Bronxville P.L., NY

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