And Other Mistakes

YA fiction 

     "It's been eight months since I've run cross country.  Eight months since I felt the sun sear into my skin and I raced with the wind.  Now we're on our way to the school's field and I'm about to face my teammates for the first time since Coach stripped me of my title as captain last November."

     Her teammates and Coach aren't the only ones Aaliyah will have to regain the trust of.  During the fall, while she was reneging on her responsibilities to her team she was in free fall academically after a really good two years grade wise.  On probation, she has to meet regular with a guidance counselor and a peer counselor who is also her captain.  She has to not only pull up her grades, but somehow start applying to colleges.

     The cause of Aaliyah's precipitous fall from grace was her mother, a rigid fundamentalist.  When a church elder snitched that her older daughter was gay she hit the roof.  Her unrelentless pressure to fly straight caused Aaliyah to lose interest in just about everything.

     "Straight kids don't have have to deal with this stuff--this whole coming-out-to-your-parents thing, as if you've  been an alien all along, body-snatching the normal kid they thought they'd been raising.  They don't have to deal with the fear that they might wake up one day and have a parent who looks at them like they don't know who they are.

     Like the kid they loved is gone."

     But their clash is not the only crisis in the household.  Aaliyah's father is an alcoholic and a very ugly drunk who breaks things, physically abuses his wife, and is even verbally cruel to his youngest daughter.  Mother and daughters have to quickly flee their home they have clothes packed.

     At school Aaliyah really wants someone to lean on and possibly even a first girlfriend.  But she isn't sure who she can trust: long time friend Yasmin who seemingly ditched her after a kiss, more recent sometimes quite confusing bestie, Marissa, or the new on the team, cutie, Tessa, who really seems to be into her.

     And Other Mistakes is Turner's extremely crafted debut novel.  I think whether you're in high school or your kids are high school grads you'll find it engaging and enjoyable.  I'm looking forward to what this talented newcomer serves up next.

On a purrrsonal note, Happy Pi Day!!!  I've gotten into the spirit of the day by baking an apple pie.  Any special day centered around math and tasty pastries is aces with me.  

After the spring like weather yesterday we're caught in a nor'Easter.  Lucky for me, I didn't have to go out today.  Poor Eugene will have to spend the night plowing that mess.  (Jules)

That freaky groundhog wasn't blowing smoke when he predicted six more weeks of winter.  I think no matter what he sees Maine gets more winter.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to our Eugene and all the other blizzard battlers.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

     

Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone