This Is All Your Fault

Gr 8 Up–This is a story that will grow on many readers. What starts as a series of individual stories about young people working in a dying Chicago bookstore soon morphs into a seductive tale of those disparate coworkers suddenly realizing the store where they work is much more than just a job. When one of them makes an ill-thought-out attempt to save the bookstore by using the entire petty cash account to purchase what turn out to be fake Air Jordan shoes, it starts an avalanche of reactions. Those reactions not only reveal the inner personalities of each employee, they make them realize how important the store is to their self-images and ways of being. What ensues are some prickly confrontations that force them to get out of their comfort zones as they come together to save the store. While the result might not be everything they and readers might hope for, following what happens makes for an extremely satisfying experience. This book, narrated by Kyla Garcia and the author, gives readers a smooth and satisfying narrative.