The First Part Last

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson is a rather short, quick read, which made it a perfect Readathon book. I had picked this book up because of a guest post by a blogger, I forget who - curse you memory, curse you - on the books of Angela Johnson. Let me just say I have no regrets about picking this up.The story centers around teen parenthood. I know, groan, an issue, groangroan. However, the book never felt preachy. I never felt the message was don't have sex you will get pregnant and you will die. I like that. Thank you Angela Johnson for not preaching at me. What made this book unique, besides the fact that it features characters of color, was that instead of fixating on the experience of the pregger teen girl, it focused on the show more father. I think pregnancy is gross, so I'm glad I didn't have to read about morning sickness. Yes, I know I will probably take some heat for that, but I just have no interest in making babies for the sake of making babies. I think it's great that people get pregnant and have kids, but I just don't care to read about it. Just not at that stage in my life yet. So anyways there's no placenta floating in this book, thank god.I thought The First Part Last was beautifully written. Moments had me laughing, tearing up, and just loving the ride. Bobby, the main character does some very stupid things which had me wanting to yell at him, but then I thought, hey wait April, teens do dumb things, you still do dumb things, don't yell at a fictional character, girrrl. This book absolutely packed a punch. I loved the wide range of emotions Johnson wrote. One thing which I did hate was how short the book was, I wanted more. I'll be honest and say I've never really considered what it would be like for a young African American male to have a child. Mind you this African American male was middle class and definitely not in a gang or doing drugs, which is often the story we hear when it comes to teens of color having children. It's awesome that Johnson has the guts to go against the mainstream 'story' and say middle class PoC exist and they have problems too. I say the story, because I picture movies like Save The Last Dance, where Derek's teen sister lives in poverty and has a son by a gang member. It's like we're conditioned to see this as normal.Speaking of that, let's see more middle class PoC in movies, pleaseee. But, I digress. The challenges Bobby faces are insane. I'm not about to fall into the trouble comparison game, wherein I say, oh he's a male so his troubles aren't as huge as that of a pregnant female, because that game really just derails the conversation. (Someone awesome posted about derailing, if it's you let me know so I can properly link you!) I mean, he is this brilliant kid with dreams of going to college, however he obviously holds a strong responsibility to his daughter, Feather, whom he has full custody of.The beginning of this book kept me intrigued with questions. For example I wanted to know where exactly the mother was. I shouldn't have worried, Johnson answered my questions and dropped hints as to what happened, eventually letting me in on the truth. I like that, I liked that she pulled me in with subtlety instead of smacking me over the head with the answer. I say this constantly, but it always bears repeating, books which trust the intelligence of the reader are my kind of book.The First Part Last by Angela Johnson is not an easy read emotionally, but a book which I completely recommend whole-heartedly! show less

though clearly written for a young audience (grade 6 and up, possibly), the subject of raising a baby as a young single father doesn’t miss the mark and Johnson doesn’t hedge the topic in any way. the story is about the 16 year old Bobby, a tender and spunky teenage boy, who finds out that his young girlfriend Nia is pregnant. they consider adoption, but when Nia falls into a coma during childbirth, Bobby decides to keep Feather, propelling him into the life of a single father.

"This little thing with the perfect face and hands doing nothing but counting on me. And me wanting nothing else but to run crying into my own mom’s room and have her do the whole thing."

the writing is very simple and very direct, written in language that show more doesn’t try to pretend that Bobby’s world is an easy one. and yet, Bobby’s tenderness towards both Nia and Feather is heartfelt and honest. the story is told in alternate sections - now, recalling what life with the new baby is like, and then, detailing his relationship with the mother Nia and the pregnancy and birth of Feather, and reads very quickly (maybe 2 hours total to finish the book for me?).

but, despite its simplicity and short length, this book definitely packs a punch. through Bobby, we see life from a different perspective and we share his tears and his smiles, his first moments with Feather and his absolute fear of being a failure. everything that a young, single father might feel is captured in a stark and captivating honesty that is both lyrical and haunting.

"I figure if the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They’d be all knowing in the beginning and all innocent in the end."

definitely recommended for young adults and those that might be young single parents. a wonderful read and a well deserved Printz Award winner! show less

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson is one of my favorite young adult books. Although teen pregnancy is a somewhat common topic in young adult literature, Johnson covers it in a very unique, captivating way in The First Part Last.

The two defining features of this novel for me are the male protagonist and the setting alternating between present (now) and past (then) throughout the story. I appreciated the male protagonist because it seems to me that it is uncommon in literature about teen pregnancy. I think it is good especially for young men to see another male take responsiblity and really want to be an active parent even though it means making many sacrifices. Too often in literature and news the single parent home is run by the show more mother. So I am thankful Johnson created such a strong, passionate male protagonist.

Normally when I am reading alternating time frames, I end up wanting to read all of one time frame at a time. However in this book, I was captivated from start to finish. Each chapter felt like just enough time spent in that setting before switching. It was a unique way to present a common theme and I definitely enjoyed it.

Overall I think this is a wonderful book not only for recreational reading, but high school classrooms covering teen issues. show less

This is the story of a sixteen-year-old father, Bobby, and his newborn baby girl. The 10-month-long story unfolds from both ends in alternating chapters of "then" and "now," as Bobby begins to find his way as a single dad.

There are so many things that I like about this book. It doesn't shy away from the complexities of the situation and characters. Everyone is conflicted. I love that these urban teens (and their families) are basically good people, and that, despite the storyline, it's really not a cautionary tale. And I love Bobby: his earnest struggle to do what he knows is right, even when it's really hard.

I found the nonlinear narrative to be really effective. When I finished reading, I wanted to immediately begin again, to see how show more my knowledge of the rest of the story might influence my reading. I suspect that this story will continue to offer new information with repeated readings, which is always a good sign. show less

Since middle school, I feel as if film, literature, television, and even music has been--for whatever reason--forcing the reoccurring topic of "the plight of teenage parents" down the collective throat of my generation and subsequent generations. It has become less of a way to draw attention to the adversities faced by adolescent parents and more of a "hot topic" to incorporate into any medium that wants to appear "edgy."

With that being said, I think it is unfortunate that I honestly dreaded reading Angela Johnson's The First Part Last. Again; all I had known about Johnson's book was that it centered on teen pregnancy. However, I realized this initial feeling of reluctance was born from the over-exposure to the topic of teen pregnancy show more throughout the years. In other words--to be frank--I was literally judging a book by its cover--but I'd like to think it was justified.

Once I finally got down to actually reading the book, I was immediately thrown a curve ball. Generally speaking, most tales about teenage pregnancy focus on the female parent. In contrast, Johnson's largely focuses on the story of the teenage father. Treading on mostly uncharted territory, the author approaches the--unfortunately--trite topic of teen pregnancy from a new angle. It is with this change in focus that Johnson successfully hooks readers into the heart of the story.

Readers will find the book to be a brief but emotional ride. As the story alternates between the past and present, Johnson keenly presents choices and their often distressing consequences to readers. The author honestly and unapologetically presents the decisions that the teenage couple of Nia and Bobby had to face when they discovered that they were to become parents and then flash forwards to the present time when Bobby cares for his infant daughter, Feather, by himself.

Like most modern-day, successful, adolescent works of literature, Johnson's work does not hide the facts from its readers. She keeps the story based in the often harsh reality of the real world and gives readers a true sense of what it is like to be a teenage parent by including all of the raw emotions and thoughts of her main character.

It is through this realistic portrayal of the teenager that high school students may be able to connect to their own thoughts and feeling to the text. Teachers could couple this book with other books where the main character breaks gender stereotypes as examples of the reversals of gender roles.

Obviously, this is a book to be taught only when a teacher is sure that all students can handle such a heavy topic. Though, I believe that Johnson's book should be--at the very least--introduced to students; because, like me, some students will be reluctant to read this book. And like me, they will not know the power of this book until they hold it in their hands, read the words on the page, and feel what the characters are feeling. show less

I read this book lots of years ago, and I remembered so little that I decided to re-read it. This Angela Johnson lady is some kind of writer. What an amazing book. The characters are real - there are not cliches here. And the story is like a sucker punch in slow motion - the impact is so slow at first you don't even know you got hit, but you feel stunned when it's over. Everyone should read this, as well as the companion novels, Heaven and Sweet, Hereafter.

The story is told by Bobby, a teen father, and ping-pongs back and forth between chapters labeled "then" and "now" regarding the birth of his daughter, Feather. I thought it was really interesting--the choice of name for the baby-- because every time you read "Feather" you can't help but think of something soft, light, fragile and yet strong enough to support flight.

I thought Bobby's expressions and relationships sounded authentic and it was really important to show him struggling, even crying and really speaking out to the reader about the powerful emotions he's encountering through this experience. Much of our culture disapproves of men showing emotion, especially crying and in this book, even Bobby's father is known for his emotional show more side over his mother. It was really significant to see how Bobby's family, though divided, worked things out together as he dealt with his girlfriend's pregnancy and the fall out afterwards. It was so brief, yet had room for seemingly insignificant bits in the beginning that came full-circle by the end, becoming much more than they seemed. Like School Library Journal says, it was "Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting" making it highly accessible and attractive to nearly any YA reader. The story and characters had depth and readers easily become emotionally connected to Bobby and his struggles. It doesn't end happily, and it doesn't end in despair, which is also interesting. This garners it a 5Q in my opinion for the quality of writing.

I believe the universal topics of family, responsibility, and growth/change make The First Part Last a widely popular book for young adults. show less