Never Eighteen

Gr 9 Up—Austin Parker knows he will not live to see his 18th birthday. Before leukemia can take him from his family and friends, he plans a long weekend with his best friend, Kaylee. The two embark on a mission to meet with friends and family members, hoping Austin can leave them some advice on how to live. Bostic paints the teen as mature for his age, but he is still a well-drawn and realistic character. However, it's a little difficult to believe that the friends and family members he visits have all suffered in extreme ways. Austin meets with, among many others, an ex-girlfriend who is being physically abused, a girl who has been raped, a friend who is a closeted homosexual, a kid he used to bully, and his dad who has yet to divorce his mom. Reading this list might give the impression that the book is a major downer, but it's actually uplifting. Austin and Kaylee are strong, well-crafted characters who care deeply for one another and those around them. Somehow, even given the plethora of problems faced in this book, it works.—Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD