Gr 9 Up—Life has been good to high school junior Nick Brandt, the only child of happily married parents, and winning the heart of the girl of his dreams, Eden Reiss, only makes things sweeter. But then Nick receives some surprising news: he's not really an only child. His dad had a baby with his high school sweetheart, and the child was given up for adoption. Now an adult, Sam Roth reenters his biological father's life and, in doing so, disrupts Nick's. He's angry at Dad for keeping this secret and confused about how this knowledge will affect his relationship with Eden as it weighs heavily on his mind as they have their first sexual experience. Sheinmel deftly navigates the subtle complexities of her protagonist's concerns, especially the way he withdraws from Eden. There's a tenderness in their relationship, as well as in his friendship with his best buddy, Stevie, that is reminiscent of Steve Kluger's My Most Excellent Year (Dial, 2008). Teens will relate to Nick even though he exaggerates the severity of his situation; his parents have accepted the past just fine and Sam's entrance doesn't cause any drama outside of that which Nick has read into it. The first-person narration is honest and compelling, and the book's thoughtful nature will appeal to readers who like more introspective realistic fiction.—Jennifer Barnes, Malden Public Library, MA
Brooding, introspective Nick, a Manhattan high school junior, has trouble coming to terms with the recent discovery that his father has a twenty-nine-year-old son from a previous relationship. While Nick's voice isn't always believable and the lessons he learns are contrived, the exploration of issues surrounding adoption is sensitively handled.
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