The Most Dangerous Thing

Gr 9 Up—Family, mental health, and sexual awakening all combine for an honest and enjoyable read. Sydney is struggling with depression and social anxiety. Other people are unpredictable and messy, especially when sex is involved, and she'd rather just hide in her closet and work toward a future where she can live alone and go biking whenever she wants. Biking helps lift the fog she fights every day. In the present, however, she must contend with a boy who makes her feel new things, her sister's mortifying production of The Vagina Monologues, and her Zeyda's declining health. Luckily for Syd, she has lots of support and professional help. Lieberman has crafted an engaging novel that takes mental illness seriously while presenting it as manageable, especially with professional help. The time Sydney spends with her supportive Jewish family and her dawning understanding of her parents and sister as individuals will make this complex character relatable to many teens. The protagonist's revelations about sex, her body, and feminism are developmentally appropriate, and many struggling teens will appreciate that Sydney continues to process these issues. Lieberman's story of a girl living with depression as she moves into womanhood will be a hit with fans of Sarah Dessen and Christine Heppermann.