Seventeen-year-old Brooke’s carefully planned summer—focused on earning money for a car—shifts completely when her stepsister Natalie, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, moves in with her family. When Natalie joins a summer musical theater program, Brooke leaves her job to volunteer backstage and support her, discovering an unexpected passion for theater work and developing an attraction to Micah, the charming stage manager—a complication made more difficult by Natalie’s own close friendship with him and her deep need for family stability.
DCP Stories Collection
Review
What’s Done Well
- The importance of self-advocacy. At one point in the book, Natalie tells Micah that Brooke is donor conceived without asking Brooke if that was OK to share. Brooke is then able to explain to Natalie that she wasn’t upset that Natalie shared this information because it was a secret, but because Brooke has the right to choose who knows the nature of her conception.
What Bothered Us
- Not every family needs a dad. A recurring theme throughout the book is that Brooke is trying to show how great she is with Natalie because of how much she wants a dad in her life — Brooke believes that if she proves she can help keep Natalie happy, her stepfather will want to have a closer relationship. By the end of the book, her stepfather offers to adopt Brooke. While this is a relatable experience to some, donor-conceived people from solo mom or two mom families may feel left out of this depiction.
Additional Considerations
- Outdated language. The book uses “Asperger’s Syndrome” to describe Natalie’s diagnosis, which is now considered outdated.
