January 12, 2015
In her first YA novel, adult author Mills (the Sabrina Dunsweeny mysteries) follows a high school junior after her widowed mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. Erin soon learns that this isn’t the first time that her mother has had breast cancer, and that her mother also has a BRCA gene mutation, which means Erin likely has it, too. Erin reels from the potential implications of this news, and starts taking flying lessons as an escape, while talking to a girl named Ashley in an online forum about the BRCA genes. Meanwhile, Erin’s social life plummets when she becomes the target of classmate Faith, who spreads rumors about her. Mills’s novel starts off strong, carefully taking Erin through her mother’s diagnosis and treatment, while unpacking Erin’s fear of finding out whether she’s positive for a BRCA mutation. A dramatic twist midway through the story, born out of Erin’s lack of control over her life, strains believability, however, and brings excess melodrama to a story whose emotions already run high. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency.
December 15, 2014
High school junior Erin Bailey's whole life changes when her mother is diagnosed with late stage breast cancer. In an even more unkind twist of fate, Erin finds out that she has inherited a BRCA gene mutation, which means she has a significant risk of contracting reproductive cancer herself. This discovery, along with the loss of her beloved daredevil father in a flying accident a few years before and a less-than-stellar social life, puts Erin at the top of the list of teens facing tough, real-life dilemmas. Help comes in the form of friendly advice she receives from a girl on the BRCA gene website who offers Erin sanctuary on a remote island in Florida. A newly fledged pilot, Erin heads for Florida, hoping to meet up with her new friend. Although what she discovers there will surprise both Erin and readers, she finds support as well, enabling her to weather the further storms of college applications, more teen drama and the inevitable decline of her mother. Although some might look askance at Erin's unconventional decision to take the genetic test at such a young age, mature teens will appreciate this carefully researched and authentic expose of a difficult subject. Erin's first-person, present-tense narration isn't flashy, but it does get readers effectively in her groove. A heartfelt, three-hankie exploration of a topic all too many teens must confront. (Fiction. 14-16)
COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
December 1, 2014
Gr 8 Up-Hit with the news of her beloved mother's cancer diagnosis, Erin is further rocked by the discovery that she may be at risk for a similar struggle. As she comes to terms with her new normal, the decisions she makes have great implications in her formerly quiet life. This novel suffers from a dizzying array of typical YA tropes. There is a spunky best friend, a "mean girl" with a difficult backstory revealed in the end, a tight-knit relationship with a single mom, grief-fueled poor decision-making, and a surprising love interest. The last of these is the weakest part of the book overall, as Erin displays a large amount of agency and personality and the romantic lead's most interesting facet is that he initially catfishes her. The teen's behavior occasionally skirts the line of plausibility, but readers will be sympathetic to her extreme emotional conflict. The subject matter transcends the typical "cancer novel" material by including conflict over testing for the BRCA gene but still goes for the emotional jugular throughout. The novel has its flaws, but will be highly appealing to teens who would be interested in a more modern take on a well-trod genre.-Erinn Black Salge, Saint Peter's Prep, Jersey City, NJ
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.