All That I Can Fix

March 15, 2018
Ronney kept believing his dad would snap out of it and shape up--until his hope turned into anger.In Makersville, Indiana, a local eccentric with a collection of neglected exotic zoo animals sets all the animals free and then kills himself. But 15-year-old Ronney is focused on keeping things together for his precocious, sensitive younger sister, prescription drug-addicted mother, and suicidally depressed father. He's also in love with a perfectionistic girl who only wants to be friends, and he has a best friend whose desire to go viral with photos of the escaped animals veers into death-wish territory (both characters are light-skinned). Ronney is deeply flawed, with a rage that simmers close to the surface, but readers will sympathize with his burning resentment toward his father's mental illness and its impact on the family. He doesn't much care about flunking algebra, not with half the town arming themselves with guns and a motley crew of animal rights and gun (pro and con) activists descending in protest. Ronney is refreshingly and defiantly multiracial (his family's exact heritage is not specified, but he is at one point mistaken for Latino), and readers will fall hard for him in this novel that balances the heartbreak of a parent's emotional abandonment and a child's fear of violence with plenty of absurd, laugh-out-loud moments.A superbly entertaining read that weaves issues of mental health and gun control with adolescent angst. (Fiction. 13-18)

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April 1, 2018

Gr 7 Up-Exotic animals have been released by the owner of a local zoo, moments before he shoots himself dead in the small town of Makersville, IN. This is probably the last thing that teenager Ronney needs in his neighborhood. As newsworthy an event as this is, it is nothing compared to the harsh realities of his own life. Ronney is from a mixed-race family, and since Makersville is small, Ronney knows that all eyes are on him. That is, when they're not on his father, who attempted to kill himself but failed, and who now lives in a depressed state; or his mother who can't deal with anything and instead pops pills; or his fourth grade sister, who is certifiably a genius but is dreadfully afraid of the escaped animals. Ronney deals with his family that is slowly falling apart, his best friend who wants to capture all the animals, and a lonely boy who asks him to take on an impossible quest. This quirky coming-of-age novel is full of hardships that the protagonist must endure, while still maintaining a lighthearted tone. VERDICT A strong choice for YA collections, this complex selection with a variety of relatable characters in extraordinary circumstances will win over teens.-Caitlin Wilson, Meadowdale Library, North Chesterfield, VA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2018
Grades 7-10 Ronney is a mixed-race 15-year-old whose world deteriorates every day. His family depends on him to take care of everything from roof leaks to laundry to his 10-year-old sister, Mina. His mother pops pills to avoid conflict, and his father has been in a deep depression ever since his failed suicide attempt. When the eccentric in their small Indiana town releases his exotic zoo animals before killing himself, angry Ronney must calm Mina and talk his best friend out of stalking the dangerous animals. Just when Ronney thinks he couldn't care about another stinking thing, Sam, a lonely neighborhood boy, finds a way to soften Ronney's heart. Despite Ronney's ire, he's a storyteller possessed with a wicked and honest sense of humor about reality and relationships. Chan takes a measured approach to controversial topics like suicide and addiction, the news media, gun control and rights, and animal activism, most of which are relevant to today's teens. At a time when high-school students are campaigning for change, this book is sure to be in demand.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)