The First Part Last (YA)

The First Part Last. Angela Johnson. 2003. Simon & Schuster. 144 pages.

My mom says that I didn't sleep through the night until I was eight years old. It didn't make any difference to her 'cause she was up too, listening to the city.

Bobby never planned on having a baby. But on his sixteenth birthday, his girlfriend, Nia, surprises him with the news. He's going to be a father. The story is revealed in alternating chapters of then and now. In the 'now' sections, readers see Bobby in the early days of fatherhood. They see him taking care of his newborn daughter. They see him scared and exhausted, but they also see him as loving. The 'then' sections reveal to readers--slowly--how Feather, his daughter, came to be solely in his care.

I loved this one! I did! Earlier in the year I read several of Angela Johnson's novels. I read Heaven and Sweet, Hereafter. I read Bird and Looking for Red. I've enjoyed all of her books that I've read. And I would definitely recommend this author, I love the way she writes.

But I figure if the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They'd be knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end. Then everybody could end their life on their momma or daddy's stomach in a warm room, waiting for the soft morning light. (4)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews