
A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is grappling with the tension between personal ambition and family duty, or when the family is navigating the complex emotions of kinship care. This poignant novel follows seventeen-year-old Hannah during her final year of high school as she and her father take in her nephews. It explores the heavy lifting of caregiving and the systemic hurdles of the foster care system. Appropriate for high schoolers, the story emphasizes empathy and the reality of adult responsibilities. It is an excellent choice for families looking to validate the experience of older siblings or teens who feel their own lives are on hold due to family circumstances. It offers a realistic look at how love and resentment can coexist when a family is in crisis.
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Sign in to write a reviewOccasional realistic teen profanity.
References to the sister's struggles which led to the children's removal.
The book deals with parental neglect and the foster care system in a very direct, secular, and grounded manner. It addresses the death of Hannah's mother (past) and her sister's ongoing instability. The resolution is realistic rather than perfectly 'happy,' offering a bittersweet look at family endurance.
A high school senior who feels the weight of the world on their shoulders, perhaps a student who has had to 'parent' younger siblings or who is navigating the transition to adulthood while tethered to home by crisis.
Parents should be aware of the realistic depiction of the child welfare system, which can be frustrating. No specific 'shocks,' but the emotional labor is intense. It can be read cold by most teens. A parent might see their teen pulling away or, conversely, becoming overly stoic and helpful to the point of burnout. The trigger is the moment a parent realizes their child is sacrificing their youth for the family's survival.
Younger teens will focus on the disruption of Hannah's social life and college plans. Older teens (17-18) will deeply feel the 'launch' anxiety and the moral weight of Hannah's choices.
Unlike many YA novels that focus solely on romance or peer drama, this book centers on the 'kinship care' experience and the specific, often invisible, struggles of teens in foster-adjacent roles.
Seventeen-year-old Hannah is preparing for college when her world is upended. Her sister's struggles lead to her two young nephews moving in with Hannah and her widowed father. The story follows Hannah as she navigates her senior year while acting as a secondary caregiver, dealing with social services, and facing the realization that 'just until' might be longer than she hoped.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.