Without preaching to readers or breaking character, Newbery Honor author Jacqueline Woodson's (Feathers; Miracle's Boys) 15-year-old narrator describes the symptoms of addiction and withdrawal in unflinching detail.
Hurricane Katrina claimed the lives of Laurel Daneau's mother and grandmother, M'lady, leaving behind Laurel, her grieving father and her infant brother. When the remaining Daneau family moves to Galilee, Miss., it gives them a chance to start over. Laurel makes the cheerleading squad and catches the eye of star basketball player T-Boom. But T-Boom is not just a shining athlete--he's also addicted to crystal meth and quickly introduces Laurel to it. Meth eases her grief and "took my thinking away." Her father discovers her addiction and struggles in vain to free her from the drug. When Laurel takes to the streets, begging for money to buy "moon," she meets Moses, a young artist who earns money painting memorials to those who've lost their lives to meth. Moses serves as a sort of guardian figure, watching Laurel's final descent and daring to be more honest with her than anyone else.
Laurel's brutally honest narrative offers a startling, raw look at drug addiction, criss-crossing between Laurel's present and the time before she became an addict. The reasons for her addiction are realistic, unapologetic and never used to excuse her behavior. However brief their appearances, Woodson's characters come across as vivid and distinct. Laurel's story serves as a cautionary tale about the darkness meth brings and the long road back to light. --Kyla Paterno, retail coordinator and blogger, Garfield Book Company