TBR Tuesday (3)

I have this book in my apartment, ready to go.



Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

The wrong angle

Trina: "Hey," I say, though I don't really know them. The boyed-up basketball girl barely moves. The others, her girls, step aside. It's okay if they don't speak. I know how it is. They can't all be Trina.

Dominique: Some stupid little flit cuts right in between us and is like, "Hey." Like she don't see I'm here and all the space around me is mines. I slam my fist into my other hand because she's good as jumped.

Leticia: Why would I get involved in Trina's life when I don't know for sure if I saw what I thought I saw? Who is to say I wasn't seeing it from the wrong angle?

Acclaimed author Rita Williams-Garcia intertwines the lives of three very different teens in this fast-paced, gritty narrative about choices and the impact that even the most seemingly insignificant ones can have. Weaving in and out of the girls' perspectives, readers will find themselves not with one intimate portrayal but three.

I first learned about this book from Paula's Diversity Roll Call post and I knew I wanted to read it. Rita Williams-Garcia is an author I admire for her gritty stories yet tender writing. School violence is an important topic that should be explored in YA literature. I like that she's taken us away from the guns and more sensational manifestations of violence and brought it back to more of an everyday level, something that is a reality for many students.

I read an interview with Rita and she said it took about 4 years from start to finish for this book. I'm looking forward to enjoying her hard work. I'm sure the words will seem effortless.

I've been reading a lot of heavy books later. I think next week I'll go for something lighter!

Upcoming reviews:

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia
Undone by Brooke Taylor
Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah