A review by nerfherder86
A Certain October by Angela Johnson

4.0

A sweet, quiet book about healing, both mentally and physically. Scotty, a junior in high school, lives in East Cleveland with her dad, stepmother (who is a good friend to her), and seven-year-old autistic brother Keone. She has a great life, hanging out with friend Misha and trying to help gay friend Falcone get back together with his ex-boyfriend. But suddenly in October everything changes, in a tragic event that is foreshadowed in the beginning, as Scotty recalls that month as a turning point that shaped her future. I really liked the characters, especially Keone, and the way Johnson writes, so lyrical and smooth, poetic. She is adept at respecting the reader, not simply spelling everything out, so that you have to read between the lines sometimes. And there are a few surprises, too, where you think something has happened but in reality something else has occurred. I don't want to give too much away here. Great book, for fans of realistic fiction with emotional impact.