Skyscraping

Gr 9 Up—A moving coming-of-age story set in 1993 New York City. A great time capsule of the decade, replete with pay phones, Nirvana, mixtapes, the 9 train, and Connect Four, this novel makes the ordinary extraordinary. Miranda is entering her senior year of high school and thinks she has everything worked out. Though she has a tense relationship with her often-absent mother, she has a loving father and great younger sister for support. Mira's senior year also seems to be progressing pretty well. She is head of the school's yearbook committee, a senior mentor, and all set to apply to Columbia University where her father lectures. Until her life comes crashing down. The novel is well written in a beautifully flowing free verse that tackles complicated topics such as relationships, the first sexual experience, high school to college transitions, homosexuality, and HIV/AIDS. The author adeptly balances the forward-moving plot and the well-rounded characters. This lyrical, accessible narrative with spare text is a great choice for reluctant readers. Those who enjoyed Isabel Quintero's Gabi, a Girl in Pieces (Cinco Puntos, 2014), also about a strong female protagonist in her senior year of high school facing tough decisions, and fans of Neal Shusterman's coming-of-age tale set in New York City, Downsiders (S. & S., 1999), might also want to check this out.