Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism,Language: Strong Language,Sexual Content: Contact Between Adult and Minor,Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes,Violence: Abuse Reference/Discussion,Violence: Sexual Assault/Rape Reference/Discussion
When their first night working together at the local small-town pizza place doesn’t turn out how they had expected, teenagers Berlin and Cameron, who are Métis and Cree, respectively, and Jessie, who is white, have to confront the traumas, barriers, and losses they are each facing. Award-winning author Jen Ferguson's (Métis/Michif) second novel!
In her remarkable second novel following her acclaimed debut, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, Jen Ferguson writes about the hurt of a life stuck in past tense, the hum of connections that cannot be severed, and one week in a small, snowy town that changes everything.
Overachievement isn’t a bad word—for Berlin, it’s the goal. She’s securing excellent grades, planning her future, and working a part-time job at Pink Mountain Pizza, a legendary local business. Who says she needs a best friend by her side?
Dropping out of high school wasn’t smart—but it was necessary for Cameron. Since his cousin Kiki’s disappearance, it’s hard enough to find the funny side of life, especially when the whole town has forgotten Kiki. To them, she’s just another missing Native girl.
People at school label Jessie a tease, a rich girl—and honestly, she’s both. But Jessie knows she contains multitudes. Maybe her new job crafting pizzas will give her the high-energy outlet she desperately wants.
When the weekend at Pink Mountain Pizza takes unexpected turns, all three teens will have to acknowledge the various ways they’ve been hurt—and how much they need each other to hold it all together.
This book will be much anticipated, as Jen Ferguson's first novel was a Morris Award finalist and winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award in Young People's Literature and has been named a best book of the year by the Horn Book, Kirkus, School Library Journal, and the Chicago Public Library. It received six starred reviews.
Gr 9 Up-Berlin is the uptight perfectionist, Cam the constantly laughing dropout, and Jessie the rebellious daughter of an ultrarich and ultraconservative family. The three work at Pink Mountain Pizza in a small Canadian town. Cam and Berlin's families are close, and they bonded in grief over the disappearance of Kiki, Cam's Cree and Black cousin several months earlier. One night, Berlin thinks she sees Kiki in town. This reignites her and Cam's search for what happened to Kiki and asking more questions among their friends. Their world is further upended when Joe, the owner of Pink Mountain Pizza, decides to sell his shop. Jessie carries the secret her father is the buyer of the pizzeria to force her to stop working there. Backed by her coworkers, Berlin sets up a social media campaign to save the pizzeria, but her plans raise further issues. Their alternating viewpoints provide insight into the challenges each character faces in their lives, moving them beyond caricatures and into fully developed, complex characters who are leaning into adulthood and making mistakes. Their actions galvanize their town and expose the racist and toxic underbelly of the most influential people there. Some characters are nonbinary and exploring their sexuality. Cam's little sister Sami has Down syndrome and he believes in her ability to be more than people think. VERDICT A YA read-alike of Rebecca Makkai's I Have Some Questions for You, this story touches on many contemporary issues as part of their everyday lives and will have broad appeal. A first purchase.-Tamara Saarinenα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Mature Young Adults Plus (Grades 11 & Up)
Mature Young Adults Plus
Mature Young Adults Plus (Grades 11 & Up)
For Grades 11 & Up
Filled with stimulating nonfiction and can't-put-it-down fiction, this category is perfect for bridging the gap between young adult and adult reading. Take note: these 14 selections often contain mature situations and language that could be considered controversial.
