Now You Say Yes

June 21, 2021
Following the sudden death of her adoptive mother, former foster child Mari, 15, hatches a plan to drive across the country with her nine-year-old brother Conor, who is on the autism spectrum. Determined not to reenter “the System” or be separated from Conor, she picks up their mother’s car and the family’s camping equipment, planning to drive from Los Angeles to their estranged grandmother’s home in Massachusetts—though she’s unsure whether Nana will forgive her for a long-ago transgression, the details of which slowly unfold. To get Conor, who is interested in astronomy, onboard with the trip, she promises him that they can stop to view a solar eclipse. Along the way, the cued-white kids encounter external obstacles—from dwindling cash to misplaced car keys—and sweet moments (“Conor splashing in the water, singing to the Gulls and the B-52’s”). As Mari battles feelings of alienation and attempts to make adult decisions, Conor memorizes the map and curls up in a dog crate (“a small safe place”) for comfort. Though Mari doesn’t always speak sensitively about her brother’s disorder, this poetically written and economically plotted hero’s journey by Harley (the Charlie Bumpers series) makes a heartwarming, hopeful case for self-forgiveness and second chances. Ages 10–14.

March 11, 2022

Gr 5 Up-A story about the strength of sibling relationships centering on 15-year-old Mari, who is facing the sudden death of her adoptive mother and refuses to end up in the foster system once more. She is the only one who can take care of her bright and on-the-spectrum stepbrother, nine-year-old Conor. Mari has lost trust in everyone around her, and refuses to seek help from teachers and counselors who just might toss her back in the system. And she certainly does not want to deal with Denis, her late mother's boyfriend. She decides to embark on a desperate cross-country journey with Conor to see if they can find the one relative left that they can trust, their grandmother. What follows is a touching adventure where two siblings discover each other's strengths and weaknesses, as well as their dreams and struggles. The plot shapes a realistic look at what hope can lead people to do; tweens will be cheering for Mari and Conor up to the very last page. Characters are cued as white. VERDICT This novel skillfully takes readers on the siblings' emotional journey; themes of family and identity are peppered throughout and stand out thanks to Harley's resonant prose and engaging storytelling. -Aurora Dominguez

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2021
Mari is lost. Her mother has died suddenly, but before she even breaks the news to her 9-year-old brother, Conor, who is on the autism spectrum, she knows they have to get out of there. Mari was in the foster care system before being adopted; her adoptive mother gave birth to Conor, and their dad later left the family. With this history and no one else to turn to, Mari refuses to get thrown back into the system, much less allow Conor to be separated from her. So, she takes her mother's car and their camping gear, and they leave Los Angeles for their grandmother's house in Massachusetts even though they haven't spoken in three years and Mari doesn't have a license (she's 15). It's 2017, and she persuades Conor, an astronomy buff, to comply by promising they will stop in Missouri to see the much-hyped upcoming solar eclipse. During their cross-country trip, they also visit state and national parks, eat a lot of chips, briefly pick up a hitchhiker, grieve, and meet with some genuine kindness. This road-trip story is introspective and revealing, much like the desert highway in the middle of the night. Mari's perspective is transparent and fragile, completely realistic to her circumstances. Her attitude toward Conor, while fundamentally loving, is not perfect, but it feels honest for a teen sibling in her position. Main characters read as White. A grand journey measured in both physical and emotional distance. (Fiction. 10-14)

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