| This is an uplifting story written and illustrated in a graphic novel style. The illustrations are simplistic black and white but pack quite a punch in getting the point across. The story starts with Kathy having a baby at age 17. In spite of being a teenage, single mom with no support from her mother, Kathy was swept up with being a mom and being in love with her baby, Stacie.
She went to work in a latex factory but held on to her dream of going to college. She did well in her job until there was a strike and she was laid off. She tried working as a waitress with little success and then moved into a chemical plant. While at the plant she came across documents proving that the chemicals that they were working with were dangerous. She was discovered copying these documents for the union and was fired. She and her new boyfriend, Dave, decided to pack up the baby and head west. Kathy soon discovered that Dave was not as nice as he had first seemed. When she expressed a desire to go to college he became enraged and beat her up so she and Stacie fled the town where they had settled with Dave, hitchhiking and camping in the desert. Kathy finally makes it to California where she meets her father for the first time. She then moves on to Denver where she enrolls in college and is able to make her childhood dream come true. Even though Kathy has had a terrible life (we discover through flashbacks that she was molested as a child, thrown out of her home, and got pregnant through a rape) she still holds on to her dream and, miraculously, manages to remain positive and hopeful throughout this wonderful story. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - upbeat Time/era of story - 2000+ (Present Day) Kids growing up/acting up? Yes Kids: - struggling to earn a living to survive Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Pregnancy/Child rearing Yes Major part of story: Age group of kid(s) in story: - high school Loving/sexing? - bun/oven Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Main Adversary Identity: - none Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 () United States Yes Writing Style Amount of dialog - little dialog |
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