November 15, 2021
If grief were candy, it would taste like lemon drops. Navigating friendships, first crushes, and junior high isn't easy, but for 12-year-old Morgan, that's just the beginning. Following the sudden death of her life coach mother, Morgan puts her mom's ABC planning method (Action, Backup, Cleanup) to work as she cares for her adventuresome siblings, 7-year-old Janie and 5-year-old Budge. Afraid that her dad can't handle her grief and paralyzing anxiety on top of The Fog he's living in, she's determined to keep her family running smoothly by herself. She misses her mom's "lemon drops"--deep heartfelt conversations--and without mom to take her to soccer practice, she is also now without her team. Adding to her stress is the infiltration by new girl Mackelle into her best-friend triangle of Morgan-Keilani-Hrishi. In addition to stealing Keilani's attention, Mackelle is trying to convince Morgan that Hrishi has a crush on her. The story unfurls slowly at first, with the timeline alternating between chapters labeled "Before" and "After." It gains momentum quickly, though, as Morgan makes a questionable choice and finds herself in over her head. Morgan's internal conversations with Almost-Mom ring true at times but sometimes feel forced. The depictions of grief and anxiety, however, are authentic and relatable, and the author's own experiences lend credence to both. Morgan reads as White; Hrishi and Keilani are Indian and Hawaiian respectively. This heartfelt debut starts slowly but finishes strong. (Fiction. 8-12)
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January 1, 2022
Grades 5-8 Twelve-year-old Morgan's life is on a steep downward spiral the summer following her mother's sudden death. She struggles to stick to set plans the way her mom, a popular life coach, did, and her desire to preserve a semblance of normalcy for her two younger sibs while her grieving, abstracted dad spends more time at work has led to panic attacks, broken friendships, and piercing anxiety. Then her father announces that it's time for their customary annual family outing to Utah's Capitol Reef--a rocky wilderness of rough trails and deep canyons subject to flash floods. Framing her debut in alternating chapters set "Before" and "After" the tragedy, Clark presents a wrenching portrait of a "regular-old" preteen who sees herself transformed into a "sad, stressed-out, parentish person" forced to shoulder too much responsibility. Climactically, a solo hike taken to prove to her father that she's up to the challenge leads Morgan not only into life-threatening drama but a head-straightening internal dialogue with her mother. Not a happy tale, but a hopeful one, in the end.
COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
March 11, 2022
Gr 5 Up-Twelve-year-old Morgan is doing fine. She makes sure her little siblings are taken care of, dinner is on the table every night, and that her dad doesn't have to worry about a thing. The problem is Morgan worries about everything, and has since her mom's sudden death. Mom was the planner of the family who kept everyone together with ABC Plans and lemon drop talks, where you go through the sour to get to the sweet. Without Mom, Morgan doesn't have a plan for how to handle all of life's changes, like junior high, possible crushes, and frenemies. When Morgan's dad decides to take the family on their annual camping trip, Morgan realizes she can't escape her Mom's memory or the pressures her life in "Plan B" is putting on her, even when she tries. Chapters alternate "before" and "after" Morgan's mom's death and allow readers to really feel how much Morgan's life has changed and what she is dealing with. Morgan and her family present white, while strong secondary characters, both adult and kids, add depth and diversity to the story. VERDICT This emotional read is recommended for middle grade collections at school and public libraries.-Heather Webb
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