It's My Life

October 15, 2019
A Jewish girl struggles to accept her cerebral palsy and advocate for herself. Sixteen-year-old Jenna Cohen feels different from other girls. Her CP saddles her with spasticity, seizures, and speech problems, and she relies on mobility aids ranging from elbow crutches to a motorized wheelchair. Her well-meaning parents make all of her medical decisions, subjecting her to a series of surgeries and ineffective treatments. But when Jenna discovers that her CP was caused by medical malfeasance, she enlists her lawyer uncle to fight for medical emancipation. When she's not dwelling on her doctor's mistake or hanging with her gay best friend, Ben, Jenna's living an imaginary life as her beautiful, confident, nondisabled alter ego, Jennifer. In Jennifer's persona, she catfishes Julian, her sweet, dyslexic childhood crush, kindling a bantering text-message romance dotted with described emojis--but soon, pretending isn't enough. Unfortunately, Julian's one-dimensional portrayal weakens the romantic tension. Jenna's close, conflicted relationship with her parents and fierce bond with her siblings are believable, as is her desire for a say in her treatment; however, a late twist is jarringly implausible. Though Jenna's curiosity about what might have been if not for her doctor's error is understandable, her nearly relentless self-pity risks alienating readers long before her rather abrupt realization that "[her] real life has far exceeded [her] fantasy one." All characters appear to be white. Well-intentioned but unsatisfying. (Romance. 13-16)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2019

Gr 8 Up-High school junior Jenna had always assumed she was born with cerebral palsy. Upon discovering that her birthing OB/GYN was sued for medical malfeasance, and that her CP was caused by a complication during her birth, she is now rethinking her whole life. Always driven and a high achiever, Jenna drops out of her AP classes and wants to take more control over her health, even if it means suing her parents for medical emancipation. Her romantic life heats up when childhood crush Julian moves back into town. Keeping her identity hidden, Jenna starts to flirtatiously text with Julian on the premise of helping him adapt to the new school and with his homework. This texting relationship carries much of the book, and though the prose is quippy and fun, teen readers might be put off with the premise and the believability that Julian wouldn't easily be able to figure out who is texting him. The plot is at times choppy, but the book benefits from the crisp language and humor, and strong family relationships. Effort is made to make Jenna more than her disability, but the all-consuming obsession with a boy she's liked since kindergarten makes her come across as one-dimensional. Jenna's disability is centered in the story, and there is some positive portrayal, but there are still some ableist moments such as a "differently abled" club mentioned. VERDICT There is a gap in books with CP representation, and even with its pitfalls, this addition has its merits.-Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2019
Grades 9-12 Jenna has never been bitter about having cerebral palsy, until she learns that it was due to "medical malfeasance." She hides her anger from her supportive family, but at the same time, she feels as if her parents make all the decisions about her care and starts to seek medical emancipation. When her childhood crush, Julian, moves back into town, Jenna is certain he won't be interested. Nevertheless, she finds a way to communicate with him via anonymous texts and helps him with his English homework. Her best friend thinks this is a spectacularly bad idea, but soon Jenna is in deep, as is Julian. Jenna is an appealing character grounded in reality, and her frustration over continued, difficult medical treatment rings true. It is easy to see where her family grapples with the thin line between supporting and smothering Jenna, and gradually, both Jenna and her parents are able to make a reasonable compromise. A straightforward story set at a lively pace, with appeal for both romance and coming-of-age fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)