Publishers Weekly
03/27/2023
Following her mother’s death six months ago, biracial 17-year-old Sarah Mosley must transfer out of her Austin fine arts boarding school to become the primary caregiver for her eight-year-old brother, Steven, as well as the siblings’ now-alcohol-dependent and unemployed father, who is white. At her new high school, she meets light-brown skinned David Garza, a handsome and caring classmate who catches her up on coursework. There’s an immediate spark between them, but Sarah feels that she must set aside her growing feelings for David—as well as her grief surrounding her mother—to focus on familial responsibilities. When she begins exploring her Mexican and Guatemalan roots for a Spanish language class project, however, the research helps her connect with her mother’s heritage, provides an opportunity to grow closer to David, and opens up new avenues of communication between Sarah and her father. Sarah’s relationship with Steven is an unparalleled bright spot; despite the sometimes overwhelming responsibility of being Steven’s de facto parent, Sarah’s joy in supporting him is palpable. Through Sarah’s tentative steps toward healing, Mickelson (Where I Belong) attentively showcases the mending power of tenderness, patience, and love in this moving read. Ages 12–up. (May)
From the Publisher
"An honest and heartrending look at grief and loss, and at the often-unspoken weight teens must carry in silence."—School Library Journal
School Library Journal
09/22/2023
Gr 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old Sarah should be focusing on her artwork, friends, and classes at her Austin boarding school. Instead, she is starting her junior year at Richards High School, struggling to keep afloat as she takes care of her brother Steven, her father, and the ever-growing stack of bills that are now her responsibility. If her mom were still with them, she would make sure Sarah wouldn't have all these heavy responsibilities—and her dad wouldn't have fallen apart. As Sarah juggles her classes and tries to make money on the side for bills, she momentarily allows herself happy moments thinking about her sweet classmate David, who has befriended her brother Steven and offered her comfort and support. But as Sarah's father falls deeper into his depression over the loss of her mother, Sarah wonders if she will ever be able to focus on herself again. Readers will become immersed in Sarah's story and perhaps recognize what it feels like to push aside one's feelings and wishes in order to forge ahead. The portrayal of Sarah's dad as he struggles with his grief using alcohol is both tragic and realistic. Sarah's mother, whose death provides the catalyst that sets the story in motion, also provides some of the greatest support to Sarah, who uses her mother's beliefs and work in her own art—something that helps bring her family even closer. VERDICT An honest and heartrending look at grief and loss, and at the often-unspoken weight teens must carry in silence.—Selenia Paz
Kirkus Reviews
2023-02-25
After her mother’s death and father’s breakdown, Sarah must balance household responsibilities and taking care of her little brother with attending a new school.
Seventeen-year-old San Antonio teen Sarah Mosley’s life in the six months since her mother died has been full of changes. A visual artist, she had to give up her spot at an Austin boarding school for the fine arts to move home and act as the primary caregiver for her precocious 8-year-old brother, Steven. Since her grief-stricken, hard-drinking White father lost his job as a university professor, Sarah has spent time selling custom drawings on Etsy to earn extra money for the family budget. At her new high school, Sarah decides to take Spanish to connect with her Mexican and Guatemalan maternal heritage, and she meets handsome and attentive David Garza, who’s immediately drawn to her. Despite their mutual attraction, Sarah feels too overwhelmed with family responsibilities to seriously consider romance. A highlight of the story is Sarah’s decision to base an art project on her family’s personal connection to her mother’s favorite Diego Rivera painting. The narrative lovingly conveys the pivotal role older siblings can play after a parent’s death and weaves in Sarah’s new interest in Guatemalan history and social activism in an organic manner.
A thoughtful and substantive story about loss, cultural discovery, and first love. (author’s note, discussion questions) (Fiction. 12-18)
