This book was a reread, I first read this when I was in highschool and it’s refreshing to read this again, At the time I didn’t understand why Antonia’s mother was being neglectful but now that I’m older, I understand now. I also love how this is all WOMEN who are the biggest driving force for Antonia’s life and not the men, makes it more impactful to see older/same age women try and help Antonia and her brothers through a difficult time. I do wonder about Ram tho even though he was mentioned a lot and also Jazz’s mother was awesome to some degrees as well. I hope there is a sequel to this story but if not that’s ok as well. ( )

SPOILERS. This is the first Julie Ann Peters book I read, and I've read it a few times in the years since. It's more powerful on second and third reads, because the reader flinches right along with Antonia when Jazz greets her as Tone. Antonia and Jazz couldn't be more socially different, and are assigned to peer counsel each other in their high school. Antonia wastes no time in assuring the audience of her dislike of Jazz due to her dress code and habits. This former alterna-teen who still dresses similar as an adult, is not amused, and was offended the first couple of times reading this. It's a way of expressing ourselves, just like others who wear pink or sports jerseys regularly. It takes awhile for them to confide in each other, but it does happen. Jazz wears certain clothing and makeup, and is cynical outwardly. When Antonia discovers she's from a wealthy family who's more traditional that their daughter, it shatters her impressions. (just stares at her) So. Within the first few chapters, readers learn how dire Antonia's circumstances are and why she's so driven to get perfect grades so she can go to college: her parents divorced and she desperately needs a scholarship to college. Her mom became an alcoholic with clinical depression after the divorce and snaps at Antonia all the time, blaming her for the mom's own choices. Antonia has to become a third parent to her two younger brothers, one who is barely potty-trained. My heart ached for her, and I was furious at the mom. This was before I even knew I had clinical depression. Years later, I found out it's treatment-resistant. I still judge the mom, though. This book portrays the consequences of having an alcoholic parent super realistically. There are no easy answers for Antonia's actions and what she has to do and why. She doesn't want her brothers and her to go to foster care. Her mom winds up institutionalized, and the scenes where Antonia goes to visit her mom are really sad. I didn't think it was overly-dramatized at all.

It's Jazz's mom who calls the social workers and the people who institutionalize Antonia's mom. The girls had begun to trust one another so that Antonia called Jazz for help, then got mad when Jazz told her mom. Jazz doesn't judge her for any of what's going on, though. Jazz's life is totally different. Her parents are happily married, well-off, and pay for piano lessons. Jazz is a talented musician and Antonia and her brothers enjoy listening. Jazz doesn't want her fellow alterna-teen pals to know, though. The scene where they find her playing in one of the school music rooms had me rolling my eyes. I had other alterna-teen friends in middle and high school, too. You know what else we shared in common? We were all in choir specifically. We were section leaders. Wore dark makeup and fake tattoos and everything--still section leaders. Don't say goth, punk, or emo kids can't be musicians. It's a nasty stereotype to spread. We sing, play violins, violas, flutes, tinwhistles...piano. Stop simplifying us, everyone.

Jazz feels like she's in the shadow of her perfect (more traditional) sister and it gets to her. This made me sad. I don't remember how her arc ended around this. Antonia and her brothers are reunited with her mom, who is put on medication and I think starts to get help to stop drinking. I didn't trust the mom and was hoping Antonia and her brothers could stay with her foster parents. They only stayed a weekend with them or something, though.

This book is really short, especially for all the heavy themes it introduces. It's a valuable social resource and I'm glad it's so widely circulated. ( )

High school student Antonia has always been the perfect student. Straight A's, math club, never a late assignment... She has agreed to be a peer counselor to an abrasive, punk girl, Jazz. As the two girls reluctantly work through the counseling sessions, it becomes clear that Antonia has deep problems at home, living with an absentee father and a clinically depressed mother. It also becomes evident that Jazz really isn't much like the facade she puts on. She does have some issues to address, but they're not the ones Antonia initially assumes them to be. In the end, both girls help each other.
A good solid story about coping with a dysfunctional family, but nothing spectacular or surprising. I also found Jazz a bit difficult to believe. ( )

Megan Tingley Books ( )

Liked this one. Good story about accepting other people as they are. A couple of twists I didn't expect. ( )