THE LOWDOWN:
Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated. Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life, but is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?
FIRST IMPRESSION:
Some things
You can’t take back, no
matter how much you wish
you could. No matter how
hard you pray to
some
all-powerful miracle maker.
—ARC paperback edition
SNAPSHOT:
Sisters Pattyn and Jackie alternate narration as they both struggle to find their identities in a world filled with ‘afters’: after Ethan and the baby died, after the rape, after their father’s death. After the trauma and heartbreak, each must learn to heal emotionally and open their hearts to love and caring.
Readers unfamiliar with Pattyn’s world need not worry, as all major pieces of past plot present themselves easily and early on. The cast, including primary and secondary characters, are well-drawn, relatable, and realistic teens. The antagonists, at times, come across as over-the-top but the sad fact of the matter is that there are still people like Pattyn’s and Jackie’s abusers, teens who abuse others through their presumed entitlement.
A particularly nice touch worth noting appears in the form of a wild pony, whose need for gentleness and patience before she is willing to trust mirrors the separate emotional journies of the two sisters.
Appropriate for ages 14+. Features strong language, violence (especially with guns), racism, hate crimes, sexual situations including assault, intense situations, drug and alcohol use/discussion, rebellion, and acts of animal cruelty by secondary characters.
Deals with responsibility, death, sexual assault, victim blaming/shaming, religious themes, standing up to your abusers and bullies, identity, and the healing power of love.
Younger readers would benefit from discussions on class/gender divides and abuse of privilege as viewed through the eyes of the Von Stratten girls, especially as pertaining to Jackie as a young woman and Patty as a perceived person of color.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
– Enjoy exploring hard-hitting issues
– Are a fan of novels written in verse
– Want characters and plots that don’t pull their punches
– Know someone or are yourself a survivor of abuse
THE ESSENTIALS:
Contemporary YA
Hardcover & Ebook, 560 pages
Published September 10th, 2013 by Margaret K. McElderry (ISBN 1416983287)
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Smoke/Ellen-Hopkins/9781416983286
(Review copy provided by Margaret K. McElderry Books.)