This Isn't about the Money

Within the first few pages, the reader is hooked into this story. On the night of the accident, Janey comes to consciousness out in the desert. She has only vague memories of the accident that has killed her parents, left her with bad injuries, and orphaned Janey and younger sister, Yo-Yo. In the next few weeks, Janey copes with her injuries, a new life with her grandfather and Aunt Baby, the loss of her parents, home, and best friends, and the lawsuit lodged by her aunt against the drunk driver who caused the accident. The author skillfully moves Janey through the stages of grief and recovery. Some of the best moments in this novel come as Janey copes with her two former best friends. She deals with imperfections in herself, her parents, and her new "family" (Grandpoppy, Aunt Baby, and Yo-Yo) in a realistic and ultimately loving way. Janey's balky adjustment to her new life is believable, and her new friendship with neighbor boy Boris, himself an orphan, mirrors the changes taking place inside Janey. This book deals with difficult subjects: death of parents, lawsuits and issues about the responsibility of a drunk driver, and post-traumatic stress. Yet it never bogs down into gloomy introspection. The story is fast-paced and believable. And just when Janey finally confronts her losses, she is reunited with her best friends for a visit and is able to remember a happy moment with her parents just before the accident. This book is sure to please middle-grade readers, and opens up the possibility for a frank discussion about issues of loss and trauma. There's no preaching here, just a detailed exploration of reality that leaves the reader with hope that a better future lies ahead for Janey and Yo-Yo. A story about love, loss, and what it really means to be a family.

Excellent book for lit groups. Students will be hooked fast--with in 20 pages. I couldn't put it down...it brought me to tears right along with Janey. In my experience, the books that can generate emotion are hits with my students.