Wild and Crooked

April 1, 2019
In three voices and six "acts," Thomas' (When Light Left Us, 2018, etc.) latest plumbs the prejudices behind a murder that divided two families and their Kentucky town. What's in a name? Plenty. Gay, feminist Kalyn-Rose Spence's surname is synonymous with poverty and being targeted for harassment; the residents of Samsboro (aka "Shitsboro") never forgave her father for murdering a local golden boy decades earlier. But is he guilty? Wealthy, "gay and confused" Gus Peake, who has cerebral palsy, two moms, and a "glorious menagerie of issues" including aphasia, feels doomed to be "the disabled kid" or "the kid whose dad got murdered." When their pasts threaten their budding friendship, Shakespeare-inflected, uber-analytical classmate Phil tries to "keep Capulets and Montagues from clashing" as he struggles to develop a conscience despite his anti-social personality disorder. In alternating perspectives, the trio endeavor to forge their own identities as they seek clues that may reveal Gus' father's real killer. The mystery resolves in a last-minute rush, but the book's real stars are its poignantly explored issues: love, social class, sexuality, homophobia, and the cycles of poverty and abuse. Kalyn's conflicted, loving relationship with her dad is particularly well-examined. However, the teens' heavy-handed exposition and discussions of fictional tropes and their subversion risk making their characters feel as "manufactured" and "intentionally offbeat" as the teen-targeting goth store Gus browses in, marring their refreshingly intersectional diversity. Most characters default to white. Thought-provoking. (Mystery. 14-18)

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May 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Gus and Kalyn would both give anything to avoid attention from their classmates at Jefferson High in Samsboro, KY. Kalyn Spence's last name is synonymous with the brutal murder her father was arrested for 18 years prior, so she attends school under a pseudonym. Gus Peake hates the pitying looks and well-meaning comments from classmates who don't know how to act around someone with cerebral palsy, let alone someone with CP and a murdered father. The only saving grace is his best friend Phil, until the two of them meet Kalyn, and their shared history draws them into the painful mystery of Samsboro's most famous murder. Aside from one-note villains and stereotypical high school students, the characters are detailed and thoughtful portrayals of people with their own histories and emotions surrounding Gary Peake's death, and the nuanced depiction of the adults who lived through the murder is particularly strong. Gus and Kalyn's journeys to build identities outside of their families are realistic and engaging. VERDICT Though the pacing is slow at times, this book stands out for its sensitive and complex depiction of disability, queerness, and classism. Gus, Kalyn, and Phil are multidimensional and believable characters, and the story of friendship between queer protagonists is refreshing.-Madison Bishop, Plymouth Public Library, Plymouth, MA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2019
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Kalyn Spence's dad is in prison for killing a man before she was born. Her tough-talking alcoholic mother has raised Kalyn to love and respect her father and to not suffer fools or hypocrites. But it's not easy being known as the daughter of a murderer, so when Kalyn and her mom move back to Samsboro to look after Kalyn's grandmother, Kalyn starts school under a different name and creates a new identity for herself as sweet Southern belle Rose, hiding her family's secret and her attraction to girls. On her first day, she meets Phil and Gus, best buddies and school misfits. Phil is instantly besotted with Rose and deputizes Gus to find out if Rose will go out with him. Gus is ostracized not only because his speech and mobility are impaired due to cerebral palsy but also because his father was murdered?by Kalyn/Rose's father, as it turns out. Told in alternating chapters by Kalyn, Gus, and Phil, Morris finalist Thomas' poetic, figurative language beautifully defines each narrator. Although the plot devices are sometimes obvious, Thomas' forthright, sensitive treatment of homosexuality, class, race, and prejudice combine with fully developed characters to create a world peopled by marvelously real protagonists who have the courage to do the right thing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)