The Best and Hardest Thing
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- USD 6.99
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- USD 6.99
Descripción editorial
Fifteen-year-old Molly Biden has always been studious, dependable, some might even say saintly. And she?s sick of herself. So when she spots mysterious bad boy Grady Dillon, she devises a plan to make herself over into someone new, someone who will attract Grady?s attention. She succeeds?but a little too well. When Molly discovers she?s pregnant, she?s forced to make the hardest choice of her life.
This addictively readable portrayal of Molly?s struggle to accept her pregnancy and the fact that her life will never be the same is told entirely in poetry, from sonnets to haiku.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Written in verse, picture book author Brisson's first work for teens explores the intense emotions of a 15-year-old over the course of her pregnancy. Molly has grown up with her grandmother, shouldering responsibilities beyond her age, and learning to make herself "quiet, small, and good." Tired of going unnoticed, Molly believes that cute and enigmatic Grady may help to change her persona: "I'm giving myself a makeover,/ head to foot,/ inside and out./ No more/ Good Girl/Saint of the Day/Miss Perfect." But following their one-night stand, Molly grapples with shame and fear that she might be pregnant. Experimenting with different forms (from villanelle to limerick) introduced in poetry class, Molly's tone is often contrite ("I don't know much about him at all / so why did I think I knew/ he would use a condom?"), while other poems are humorous ("Question: How Is a Pregnant Girl Like a Library Book?). Molly's decision may move readers, but her earlier vacillation between difficult choices "My problem isn't making a decision;/ it's recognizing the right one/ once I've made it" is where the material is most inspired. Ages 12 up.
