Unbecoming

There are two major things going on in Katie’s life simultaneously: (1) Katie kissed her best friend, Esme, and now they’re not friends and (2) Mary, the grandmother Katie never met, has come to live with them. Mary’s partner, Jack, suddenly passed away, listing Katie’s mother, Caroline, as the person to contact in an emergency. The thing is, Mary has dementia and she and Caroline do not get along.

As the school term has just ended, Katie volunteers to care for Mary while proper care is arranged, which suits her mother. The two form a close bond and Mary in her lucid moments tells of her life, both sad and happy. Katie learns that Mary left Caroline in the care of Mary’s sister, Pat, since Mary at 16 was not capable of raising show more an illegitimate child. Katie learns of Mary’s ‘carefree’ life in the London theater, as well as the regrets of losing Caroline.

There is so much going on in Unbecoming, a wonderful, bittersweet novel. Downham gently explores Katie’s sexuality, the family’s intergenerational dynamics and Katie’s special needs brother, Chris. The rapport between grandmother and granddaughter is gratifying. The contrast between a ‘carefree’ grandmother and her overly careful daughter makes one wonder which traits are genetic and which are learned. Although none of us can really know how a person with early Alzheimers feels, moments of lucidity offset by moments of clouded memory, Downham ably puts us in Mary’s head, a difficult feat.

One of the best books I’ve read this year and one that will probably make my 2016 Top Ten list, Unbecoming is a tender novel that will warm your heart. show less

I read this book about three generations of women in the family on the advice of a librarian. It was interesting but I didn't love the book. One of the characters, Mary, is the grandmother and she has the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease. The youngest woman is Katie, a highschooler. The third character is Caroline, Katie's mother and Mary's daughter. Each of these women have a secret that they are unable to share until one day when everything comes to light.
So, I just read this book again, and honestly did not know that I had already read it! Nothing was familiar to me. NOTHING! Still would give it 3 stars.
#Unbecoming #JennyDownham

UNBECOMING by Jenny Downham is a compelling work of realistic fiction focusing on family secrets and three generations of women.

When Katie’s estranged grandmother suddenly moves into her home, the whole family must adjust to not only grandma’s dementia but also to long hidden family secrets. Multiple crises converge as Katie adjusts to a realization about her own sexuality, tries to understand her mother’s bizarre behavior, and wrestles with her younger brother’s special needs.

Downham’s beautifully written prose provides fascinating insights into the lives of a grandmother, mother, and teenaged daughter. This poignant, moving story will resonate with many teens.

Librarians will want to add this book to their growing collection show more of young adult novels focusing on multi-generational issues. Young adults are likely to enjoy the authentic look at aging, relationships, and family secrets.

Published by David Fickling Books, an imprint of Scholastic on February 23, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher. show less

I loved this book. There’s lots to think about after reading this book. When Katie’s grandma is suddenly thrust upon her family, they become caregivers to a woman suffering from dementia. Katie’s mom is outraged that her self-centered mother who had no use for her as a child is now her responsibility. Katie though is drawn to the old woman, and shows amazing maturity and love as she helps her grandma navigate the holes in Grandma’s memory. Katie, too, is struggling. Moving to a new place after her parents’ divorce, she is ridiculed by other kids. I don’t know if bibliotherapy works, but Katie is a great role model as a daughter, granddaughter and high school student. I thought the story wove Katie’s grandma’s dementia show more and her own sexual identification. show less

I enjoyed this YA book about 3 generations of women, told from the perspective of teenage Katie & her grandmother, Mary. The audiobook is read by the author, and the story is fleshed out enough where I was sympathetic to everyone- even Katie's mother, Caroline, though that took me awhile. I'd like to read more of Downham's work.

*Reviewed from uncorrected galley. Thanks to Scholastic and the SLJ Teen Live virtual conference for providing me a free copy to review*

"teen" fiction (reads more like adult fiction); LGBTQ teen with (possibly autistic?) brother, anxiety-ridden mom, and estranged grandmother with Alzheimers (who gave birth and then seemingly abandoned the mom as an unwed teen). I only got to page 40 (Chapter 6); the characters, for all of their issues, were extremely dull and the unraveling stories were not interesting enough to pull me in.

Just finished this book. Omg I am crying so hard. The visuals of the mom and daughter as baby girls playing with each other that the grandmother has? Omg I am a basket case.