Not About a Boy

April 8, 2024
Black 17-year-old Amélie “Mel” Coeur has spent most of her life under the supervision of an exclusive foster care agency in Connecticut. Close to aging out of the system, she is sent to live with affluent white foster parents in Manhattan for a last chance at adoption. Never having known her father and orphaned from a very young age, Mel is also traumatized by the death of her boyfriend less than a year earlier. Despite the support of two close peers back in Connecticut, a new circle of friends at her elite progressive school, and a burgeoning relationship with handsome, wealthy Black classmate Hayden, she struggles to engage fully in her own life. The sudden appearance of a forgotten twin sister threatens Mel’s tentative stability, throwing into question her memories about her early childhood. Debut author Hollis constructs a world populated by privileged teens participating in the use of drugs and alcohol. Though the large cast and their relationship dynamics can be difficult to follow, the slowly unfolding narrative presents a compelling look at Mel’s past, her endeavors to manage her mental health, and her journey toward wholeness and belonging. Ages 13–up.

Starred review from May 15, 2024
A 17-year-old Black foster kid struggles with mental health, loss, and recovery from addiction. Thanks to Laurelle Child Services, an upscale adoption agency, Am�lie "Melie" Coeur has received one final foster placement before she ages out of the system. She's moved from Connecticut to live in Manhattan with a successful white couple in their late 30s: Sue Romano, a famous stylist, and her attorney husband, Dave, a former foster kid. Unbeknownst to her new private school friends, Melie is grieving the sudden death of Darren, her codependent first love and guide into the world of substance abuse. That trauma is the reason behind Melie's willingness to sneak charming basketball player Hayden (a rich Black classmate) into the apartment for late-night hookups but not agree to the actual relationship he wants. Melie's life begins to spiral even more when she unexpectedly discovers through social media that she has an identical twin sister, Brie, who lives in Brooklyn. Even though the girls were separated at age 5, Melie doesn't have any memories of her twin; Melie is definitely not doing all right. This debut is a gritty teen drama full of mature themes that unfurl in compassionate ways and will resonate with many readers. Hollis also imbues the text with moments of joy, witty banter, and supportive found-family bonding, for example, through Mel's exemplary, steadfast Connecticut besties, Rena and Cal. Heartbreaking and powerful. (Fiction. 13-18)

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June 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Am�lie, better known as Mel, entered the foster-care system around the age of four, and her most recent placement has her living with a potential adoptive family in Manhattan. As she nears the point of aging out of the system, though, her future feels very uncertain, especially after a recent, traumatic breakup with a boyfriend, who died not long after from an overdose. Having few memories of her childhood, Mel is shocked to discover that she has a sister--a twin sister, no less, who had been adopted not long after they entered the foster system. As the two sisters reconnect, Mel's lost memories of her sister begin to return, leading her into a deep depression. Mel reels beneath the flood of self-discovery but ultimately recovers with new strength and confidence, growing stronger with the help of her friends and especially her sister. By the end of this lucid and luminous novel, Mel's future looks bright.

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Starred review from August 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Hollis's powerful and compassionate debut novel is an intimate and nuanced portrayal of a resilient and troubled young woman's journey toward self-acceptance. Seventeen-year-old Am�lie Coeur has lost hope after several failed adoptive placements have left her feeling disillusioned and resentful. She desperately wants to believe she will someday belong somewhere and be accepted for who she is. However, negative thoughts quickly remind her that "everything that has ever made me happy has broken my heart." Through insightful and clever dialogue, Hollis draws readers into Am�lie's mind, enabling them to become invested in her search for happiness. Am�lie's life begins to change for the better when she is unexpectedly placed in a pre-adoptive home where she is wanted and loved. However, mental health issues, past unresolved trauma, a new romantic relationship that she both wants and fears, and a twin sister of whom she has no memory transform Am�lie's desire to "simply belong somewhere" into a complicated journey that she must navigate through to survive. Teenage life is sympathetically depicted with its angst, humor, and silliness. Adults are both caring and imperfect, sending the message that no one has all the answers. The excellent exploration of Am�lie's mental health struggles is heartrending in its intensity and authenticity, with the only caveat being that mental health diagnoses, such as depression and borderline personality, could've been clarified more to further readers' understanding. VERDICT A emotionally rich and complex coming-of-age story. Am�lie is a well-written character teenagers will understand and will want to root for.-Margaret Auguste

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