One Night

October 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Luna Begay is studious and has college plans, until she is drugged and raped at a party and ends up pregnant. Too far along for an abortion after confirming her pregnancy, she takes a Native American "miscarriage tea" that her younger sister Issy helps her brew. It doesn't work. Shunned at school once her pregnancy is apparent, the teen is offered support and a secret from the school's queen bee. Luna decides to put her child up for adoption. The book reads quickly and lightly, glossing over most of the emotional impact and trauma of the rape and resulting pregnancy. Luna, her sister, and her parents are one-note characters. Her parents are disappointed that she didn't confide in them but remain supportive. The protagonist finds the perfect adoptive family with some "indigenous blood" in them, who took Native Studies courses in college. Powwows and relatives on the reservation are mentioned, along with a few Native terms sprinkled throughout, but there is no clear sense of place or tribal affiliation in this hi-lo work. Luna is called an "Indian slut," but no context for the racial slur is provided, nor is violence against indigenous women addressed in a nuanced way. VERDICT A hi-lo title that reads like a Lifetime made-for-TV movie. An adequate choice for struggling readers.-Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

One night of horror leaves a lasting problem for 17-year-old Luna and her family.Canadian Luna, who is of First Nations descent, is not in the habit of going to parties, but one night she promises her younger sister, Issy, to go along to one at the home of a privileged prep school boy. When she meets Jon, Luna is impressed by his friendliness. Unfortunately, the boy is not as nice as he seems. Jon rapes Luna once she's drugged enough that she can't resist. Luna keeps the assault a secret until her sister guesses that she's pregnant. Her family is supportive, but many of her peers react with racial slurs and bullying. The book tackles an important topic, but the characters do not become fully realized and instead come across as wooden. While Luna is portrayed as a smart girl who gets good grades, her lack of basic knowledge about pregnancy, such as weight gain, feels more like a glaring opportunity to provide an education for readers than an organic experience for the characters. In the same way, her mother's ignorance of rape culture feels like a manufactured chance for readers to learn about what can happen to victims. A weak if well-meaning addition to a genre in need of strong books. (Fiction. 13-16) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2016
One night of horror leaves a lasting problem for 17-year-old Luna and her family.Canadian Luna, who is of First Nations descent, is not in the habit of going to parties, but one night she promises her younger sister, Issy, to go along to one at the home of a privileged prep school boy. When she meets Jon, Luna is impressed by his friendliness. Unfortunately, the boy is not as nice as he seems. Jon rapes Luna once she's drugged enough that she can't resist. Luna keeps the assault a secret until her sister guesses that she's pregnant. Her family is supportive, but many of her peers react with racial slurs and bullying. The book tackles an important topic, but the characters do not become fully realized and instead come across as wooden. While Luna is portrayed as a smart girl who gets good grades, her lack of basic knowledge about pregnancy, such as weight gain, feels more like a glaring opportunity to provide an education for readers than an organic experience for the characters. In the same way, her mother's ignorance of rape culture feels like a manufactured chance for readers to learn about what can happen to victims. A weak if well-meaning addition to a genre in need of strong books. (Fiction. 13-16)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.