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Downham, Jenny
3 Reviews
(1)
YA
Seventeen-year-old Katie didn't know she had a grandmother until the hospital called, asking her mum to pick up Mary, who's suffering from dementia. As Katie helps care for Mary, she uncovers a web of family secrets and struggles with her own: Katie is pretty certain she's gay. A limited third-person perspective follows Katie's and Mary's stories, constructing and contrasting two fully rounded characters.
Reviewer: Amy Pattee
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2016
(2)
YA
Mikey and Ellie are drawn together despite circumstance: Mikey's sister has accused Ellie's brother of rape. While Mikey knows who Ellie is from the beginning, she's initially unaware of his identity. Downham provides an intriguing look at the crisis from the siblings' perspectives. Omniscient narration describes their separate thoughts and feelings, sharing a united experience as unlikely partners, equal victims, and parallel protagonists.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2011
(2)
YA
When treatments for her advanced leukemia stop working, sixteen-year-old Tessa makes a list of things she wants to do (first being sex) in the time she has left. Downham deftly presents Tessa's shifting emotions and the raw physicality of her illness. Far from sentimental, this memorable novel is a clear directive to live one's life fiercely and fully.
Reviewer: Lauren Adams
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2007
3 reviews
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