Leap

January 31, 2011
Kevin is off-limits to 15-year-old Natalie, who documents her coming-of-age summer in notebook entries. Not only is he the older brother of her best friend, Sasha, he's also 19. But Kevin's advances are hard to ignore, and before long the two are having sex. Ostracized by Sasha and her other friends, worried about pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and jolted by her mother's romance with a woman, Natalie finds solace in modern dance and the guidance of an encouraging instructor. When Kevin proves to be less than gentlemanly, Natalie walks away from the relationship and conjures the strength to call out her neglectful, long-absent father. Lundgren's (Touched) prose can be clunky at times, but Natalie persuasively develops from naïve and resentful after Kevin spurns her to hypercritical about others' transgressions (like Sasha's shoplifting and smoking) and, finally, to poised. In the end, Natalie declares her support for her mother's relationship, befriends a shy girl with dance aspirations, and pauses to contemplate a drug legalization rally—a passage that underscores Natalie's growing awareness that the world exists in shades of gray. Ages 13–18.

May 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-School's out and 15-year-old Natalie Ferguson anticipates spending an exciting summer honing her skills at dance school. She catches the attention of Kevin, her friend Sasha's 19-year-old brother, and finds herself in a fast-moving relationship that soon turns intimate. Before long, Natalie realizes that Kevin is a less than ideal boyfriend, and she questions the steep price she paid to be with him-losing her friendship with Sasha and enduring a pregnancy scare. Natalie's home life is no easier; her parents have been divorced for years, and she struggles to cope with her father's emotional neglect of her and her sister. She is also stunned by the recent discovery of her mother's romantic involvement with another woman. Confused by the state of her love life and her family relationships, Natalie fully immerses herself in dancing. When her new teacher encourages her to step outside her comfort zone, Natalie finds her groove and gains the confidence to take charge of her life. She also comes to terms with her mother's sexuality. Lundgren effectively uses a diary format to draw readers into the teen's world. Despite a slight lack of focus because of what seem like too many issues for Natalie to deal with, this novel, with its luminous descriptions of dance and frank discussions of sexuality and relationships, will captivate teens looking for a story they can relate to.-Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2011
Grades 9-12 A lot can go wrong in four months when youre a 15-year-old girl with a moody best friend, a distracted single mother, and you are shy about showing off your talents. In less capable hands than Lundgrens, all that goes awry for Natalie between June and September might read like a litany of every problem-novel problem stuffed into a single book, but instead Natalie comes across as an authentically developed and engaging character. She copes with her best friends apparent jealousy, which actually masks how the other girl is upset with an alcoholic mother; she learns all the ramifications of being seduced and abandoned; she discovers that each of her parents is human; and, best of all, she realizes her own abilities as a dancer and as a model for a girl even shyer than herself. Set in Victoria, British Columbia, Lundgrens story also provides a glimpse at differences between Americans and Canadians, including access to morning-after pills and intolerance for driving under the influence. A diverting story that offers some solid insights to consider.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)