Counting Back from Nine

June 1, 2013

Gr 6-10-Laren finds her friend status on Facebook gone from "Best Friend to Unfriend./Discarded in a single click" when she falls for her best friend's boyfriend. Scott is emotionally unresponsive; his interests are hockey and the next girlfriend, while Laren's father is her safety net. When he has a fatal accident, the hidden truths about his life gradually surface. When "what cannot be/crashes into what is," Laren experiences grief, anger, shame, and a deep sense of alienation from everything she once held to be true. Her mother focuses on externals such as home redecorating and her son's new vegetarian choice, which is unfortunately treated as a symptom of grief that he will get over. Laren succeeds in putting her world back together by coming to new truths about herself, her parents, and her friends with some help from a counselor who supports her journey of self-discovery. Eventually she gains new friends and comes to embrace the strengths of her family. Through letters and spare verse, the teen's story is propelled forward at a quick pace. This book is well suited as a low-level, high-interest read that examines the often-vulnerable nature of friendship, the pain of ostracism, and coming to terms with the realization that the lives of parents are often complicated. Pair this title with Susane Colasanti's Keep Holding On (Viking, 2012) for a girls' book discussion group. Don't forget the tissues.-Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA

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