Story Summary:There are two main characters in this story, Jolly and Lavaughn, and they both reside in an inner city (they never say where). Jolly is an unwed 17 year old with 2 young children. Lavaughn, who is 14 and trying to save for college, ends up being her babysitter, confidant and friend. The story deals with Jolly’s escalating problems and how they begin to be solved with a lot of encouragement from Lavaughn. Even though Lavaughn spends a lot of time and energy with Jolly’s little family she never loses sight of what she wants out of her life; college and to get away from the inner city. They are both strong characters in their own way and as the story ends you feel very hopeful about both of their futures.
Remarks:It was hard to get into the rhythm of reading this book. The writing style seemed choppy and not what you are used to seeing in a novel. After finishing the book I read in out textbook that this writing style is called a story poem (p.344), then it all began to make more sense. I wish I had known that before I started reading! I think this would be a good story for teens in all walks of life to read. It could help them appreciate what they have, or know that there is always help and hope if they are in a difficult situation.