  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 07/01/2018 Tai Johnson is looking forward to her friend coming home after a summer away, but Jamila Philips’ return isn’t what Tai expected. The two African American girls have lived across from each other in their low-income housing project since they were toddlers, but now they seem to be growing apart. Both girls are hiding secrets that slowly bubble to the surface as they navigate friendship, family, and growing up. Chase delivers an honest coming-of-age tale with two different girls dealing with real issues, crushes, and finding themselves. The dual-perspective narrative tackles serious subjects through an adolescent lens. Chase pulls no punches when it comes to emotional honesty, and her characters are easy to connect with. Dance and basketball serve as catalysts for what brings the girls back together, but also allow them a chance to find their own voices. As they work towards a future, they face real struggles and have to determine how to speak out for each other. This is a must-read coming-of-age story about friendship and finding a voice. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. School Library Journal - 09/01/2018 Gr 5–8—In this story set during the last few weeks of summer between seventh and eighth grade in the housing project of Pirate's Cove, TX, themes of friendship, trust, loyalty, and family are examined with a sharp eye. Tai cannot wait until her best friend Bean gets back from "the woods" where she's been staying with her aunt. Life in the Cove isn't the same without her. When Bean comes back, she seems different. She wants to be called Jamila or Mila, not Bean, even by Tai. She seems distant and doesn't want to come over to Tai's house anymore. Meanwhile, the big news in the Cove is that auditions for a new talented-and-gifted dance program are being held, but Tai isn't as excited about the auditions as her friends. Characterization is nuanced and skillfully layered, especially in the depiction of the relationships between the girls, their caregivers, and their circle of friends. Chase gives hints as to why Mila is so uncomfortable in Tai's home but takes her time with the reveal. Readers, and eventually Tai, learn that Tai's father was verbally and physically inappropriate with Mila. Tai struggles with this knowledge, her silence and complacency, and how to repair her relationship with Mila. VERDICT A pitch-perfect look at changing adolescent relationships and resilience.—Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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