Read Between the Lines

January 12, 2015
Ten interconnected stories set over the course of one day at a small-town high school reveal a well of despair and confusion among the nine students and one teacher whose lives are examined. Beginning with Nate Granger, a bullied freshman whose middle finger is broken by a basketball hurled like a weapon in gym class, each character either delivers or receives the obscene single-digit salute. Knowles (Living with Jackie Chan) catalogues their backstories and charts the way the lives of these cheerleaders, athletes, nerds, and stoners intersect, allowing readers to see a bigger picture than the characters themselves are able to do. The plot device of inserting a raised middle finger into each story wears thin after a while, but the idea of looking past an angry gesture to understand what led to it makes for an empathetic approach to understanding random hostility. Teens who read these stories will likely never see a raised middle finger again without wondering what the story is behind it. Ages 14–up. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

January 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Knowles's latest novel realistically depicts the intertwined lives of 12 individuals. From high school student to recently graduated new adult to teacher, these personal vignettes are achingly truthful and reveal the secrets and sorrows hidden behind everyday facades. As the stories unfold and the points of view begin to overlap, a complete picture begins to form. The message of the novel is divulged on the last page, bringing the book into tight focus and finally giving teens an "aha" moment. The short story format could tempt reluctant readers, and many young adults will see shadows of themselves in the well-drawn characters. Hand this one to fans of dramatic realistic fiction and those who enjoy slice-of-life novels.-Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2015
Over the span of one day, Knowles' novel offers glimpses into the intertwined lives of nine teens and one high school teacher. These days, "to read between the lines" means two very different things: One, with a gesture, is the ultimate insult, and the other is to garner more insight than is readily apparent. Here, both definitions fit. Each character either receives or "gives the finger," and each chapter provides a "between the lines" peek into the characters' lives, always revealing a disconnect between the realities of their lives and the ways in which they are perceived by others. First up is Nate Granger, a much-harassed high school freshman whose middle finger is broken by a bully during gym class. Nate is tormented by the fact that his mother died in a hit-and-run crash while on her way to pick him up at school and struggles to deal with his abusive and resentful father. While Nate is in the nurse's office, Claire-another student, and the next character to come into focus-comes in, feigning cramps, and is dismissed from school. Feeling her life and relationships superficial, Claire takes a bus into the city in search of a meaningful experience. The book proceeds, each new character entering, with his/her realities, dreams and secrets becoming another masterfully woven thread. With emotional explorations and dialogue so authentic, one might think Knowles isn't creating but channeling the adolescent mind. A fascinating study of misperceptions, consequences and the teen condition. (Fiction. 14-18)

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February 15, 2015
Grades 7-12 One town, 10 interconnected stories. Bully-magnet Nate sets the tone for this collection after his gym class accident results in a broken middle finger, splinted upright. Meanwhile, other students at his high school deal with thoughts about the future, their relationships with one another, and family strain. A recent grad contemplates his narrowing future, and a teacher quietly brings everything together. All of the stories feature some encounter with that angry middle finger and, between the lines, are about the difficultiesand the depthof human connections, and the fears and frustrations on any given, seemingly normal day. Issues of absent parents, conflicted sexuality, eating disorders, and various forms of abuse are dealt with succinctly but tenderly, and some nuances are subtle enough that multiple levels of reading are possible, with a twist at the end so understated you may miss it. This is likely to speak to any teenager in a stage of transition.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Nine teens and one teacher each tell a story about a seemingly ordinary school day in November. Each story reveals more about the characters--their secrets, troubled family lives, crushes, and friendships--and how they relate to one another. (Often, it's through someone giving someone else the finger, a gesture appearing in each story.) These interconnected stories create a powerful, complex whole.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2015
This is a glimpse into the lives of nine teens and one teacher on a seemingly ordinary school day in November. Each takes a turn telling a story: among the narrators are Nate, whose middle finger is in a splint after he breaks it in gym class; Stephen, who witnesses his father having a heart attack in a restaurant; Grace, who's struggling to convey an image of the perfect popular cheerleader; and Lacy, a fat girl who, in the book's most shocking vignette, is sexually violated on a school bus. With each story, readers learn more about who the characters are -- their secrets, troubled family lives, crushes, and friendships -- and how they relate to one another. (Often, it's through giving, or getting, the finger, a gesture that appears in each story with a variety of motivations and reactions.) Their voices are a reminder to look past simplistic stereotypes, appearances, and projections; in the best moments, as narrator Keith tells us, she sees the real me, and I am seeing the real herAnd by seeing each other that way, we're seeing our true selves, too. While some perspectives are missing -- we never hear from Lacy's two-dimensional-seeming attacker, for example -- these interconnected stories create a powerful, complex whole. rachel l. smith Hit Count by Chris Lynch High School Algonquin 362 pp. 5/15 978-1-61620-250-7 $17.95 g e-book ed. 978-1-61620-490-7 $17.95 As a lowly freshman, junior varsity football player Arlo Brodie sets his future goals: varsity linebacker by sophomore year, then college ball for a Division One team, then the pros. After freshman year, Arlo works out like a fiend, gets in super shape, makes varsity, and plays like a man possessed, hitting, blocking, tackling -- all of the hard contact that he craves and has been preparing for. And he becomes a god on the gridiron, proud of his new nickname, Starlo, and proud of what he's accomplished. His fame comes at a price: an alarmingly high hit count, or number of hard blows to his head, forces the coach to bench him. By that point, though, the adulation, the workouts, and the thrill of sanctioned combat have become Arlo's drug, and he's addicted. A parallel story of Arlo's equally combative older brother plateauing out of football just as Starlo begins to shine, but finding his place when Arlo's fame fades, crowds the narrative. Still, this unflinching examination of the price of athletic power, with plenty of bone-crunching play-by-play action, is both thought-provoking and formidable. betty carter

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)