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A review by romancelibrarian
As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl
5.0
4.5
Going into this, I was aware that this book was going to be about grief. But that was about it. The book jacket doesn't really give much more information than that. But thematically, this book is so strong in current teenage struggles in a phenomenally realistic way.
The teens in this novel are dealing with: the impact of the economic downturn and the insecurity that now pervades their lives and the lives of all who live in their town as a result, recreational drug use, drug addiction, drug overdose, reckless behavior and boundary testing, small-town expectations of success and the overwhelming pressure that can result, major life transitions as they move on to college, sexual agency/sexual promiscuity, new friends/old friends, unplanned pregnancy, adoption ... the list just continues to go on.
While it seems like a lot, the story is woven in such a way that it truly is realistic. I could see this playing out with some of the Teens that I work with at the library. I could see this playing out with people that I went to high school with 15-20 years ago. And I think it's positive to put a story like this in the hands of teens (who are ready for a story like this) because life doesn't play out dealing with only one issue at a time ... it's never just one thing, situations are always compound, and things are happening to you while other things are happening to those that you care about.
There is one thing that I do take major issue with ... and that's the decision to have Scarlett not disclose her situation to anyone but her roommate. She doesn't tell her friends, her family, or the boys whom she's been involved with. She goes in the opposite direction and attempts to actively hide the situation from everyone - from having her insurance forms sent to her school in Maine instead of her home in Colorado (and being a dependent, even of age, I am not certain how that would actually all play out) to purchasing body shaping undergarments for when she goes home for Winter break. I feel like the decision to wholly not disclose to any and everyone cheapens her experience and shows that she's so ashamed of her choices that she actively refuses to allow anyone to help or even comfort her. I feel this is a huge misstep for the author for a couple of reasons: 1. it is not congruent with the relationships that the author builds for Scarlet and her family throughout the story and 2. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH SITUATIONS LIKE THIS ALONE WHETHER THEY FEEL SHAME OR DISAPPOINTMENT OR GUILT OR GRIEF! And I think sending that message, that she's so unwilling to have ANY sort of help-seeking behavior (even from those she does disclose to - her roommate, one teacher - she begrudingly accepts help only because they begin to do things FOR HER instead of accepting the help they continuously offer).
Going into this, I was aware that this book was going to be about grief. But that was about it. The book jacket doesn't really give much more information than that. But thematically, this book is so strong in current teenage struggles in a phenomenally realistic way.
The teens in this novel are dealing with: the impact of the economic downturn and the insecurity that now pervades their lives and the lives of all who live in their town as a result, recreational drug use, drug addiction, drug overdose, reckless behavior and boundary testing, small-town expectations of success and the overwhelming pressure that can result, major life transitions as they move on to college, sexual agency/sexual promiscuity, new friends/old friends, unplanned pregnancy, adoption ... the list just continues to go on.
While it seems like a lot, the story is woven in such a way that it truly is realistic. I could see this playing out with some of the Teens that I work with at the library. I could see this playing out with people that I went to high school with 15-20 years ago. And I think it's positive to put a story like this in the hands of teens (who are ready for a story like this) because life doesn't play out dealing with only one issue at a time ... it's never just one thing, situations are always compound, and things are happening to you while other things are happening to those that you care about.
There is one thing that I do take major issue with ... and that's the decision to have Scarlett not disclose her situation to anyone but her roommate. She doesn't tell her friends, her family, or the boys whom she's been involved with. She goes in the opposite direction and attempts to actively hide the situation from everyone - from having her insurance forms sent to her school in Maine instead of her home in Colorado (and being a dependent, even of age, I am not certain how that would actually all play out) to purchasing body shaping undergarments for when she goes home for Winter break. I feel like the decision to wholly not disclose to any and everyone cheapens her experience and shows that she's so ashamed of her choices that she actively refuses to allow anyone to help or even comfort her. I feel this is a huge misstep for the author for a couple of reasons: 1. it is not congruent with the relationships that the author builds for Scarlet and her family throughout the story and 2. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH SITUATIONS LIKE THIS ALONE WHETHER THEY FEEL SHAME OR DISAPPOINTMENT OR GUILT OR GRIEF! And I think sending that message, that she's so unwilling to have ANY sort of help-seeking behavior (even from those she does disclose to - her roommate, one teacher - she begrudingly accepts help only because they begin to do things FOR HER instead of accepting the help they continuously offer).