November Blues

by Sharon M. Draper,

Packed with emotion and real-life drama, this sequel to The Battle of Jericho, does a great job of describing the struggles many teens go through in high school. When high school senior, November, realizes she is pregnant her whole life changes. Adding to the chaos is the fact that her boyfriend, Josh, recently died in a freak hazing accident. Also dealing with the death of Josh is Jericho, who gives up everything he enjoys doing because of the guilt he feels about his cousin's death. Both characters share there feelings by narrating parts of this story, and both realize they must help one another overcome the challenges ahead of them. Draper does a great job of making the reader feel as though they are the ones going through the characters' situations. This is a sequel but is sure to please readers all on its own!

--Briana C., Student