Jumpstart the World (YA)

Jumpstart the World. Catherine Ryan Hyde. 2010. October 2010. Random House. 192 pages.

"This is a beautiful cat," my mother said. She was staring into a cage at about eye level. I sidled over just enough to get a peek at the cat in question. A long-haired silvery Persian mix. He was beautiful all right, in an aloof sort of way. I'm not a big fan of aloof. Besides, I already had a cat in mind. I just hadn't found the nerve to announce it yet.

Looking to read about another troubled teen? Meet Elle. She's fifteen-almost-sixteen. And when the novel opens, she's moving into her own apartment. Why? Well, her mother thought it would make her life easier, her relationship with her boyfriend easier, if her daughter left the house. What kind of mother would allow her daughter--at that age--to live on her own in New York City? Well, I'll let you decide for yourself...

Elle is a bit angry, a bit defiant, especially when it comes to her tense relationship with her mom. But Elle needs someone in her life. She needs someone to love her, to look after her, to listen to her, to understand her. And Elle might just have found the perfect someone in her neighbor, Frank. (Yes, she has a bit of a crush.)

Frank and Molly see how much Elle needs a friend, and they welcome her into their lives. Elle enjoys playing Scrabble with Frank and learning about photography from Molly. But what Elle doesn't know about Frank, well, it's a little surprising, a little unexpected. He's transgender.

Jumpstart the World is a story of a young woman learning what it means to be a friend, learning what it means to belong. It's a complex novel starring broken people living life the best they can. I do like the fact that the characters are so human.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews