Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When 17-year-old Chloe Brooks's father is arrested on fraud charges, she and her mother move from their elegant Lexington, Ky., mansion to Limestone Apartments, owned by Chloe's mother. Chloe has never seen the complex, and her mother hasn't been back in a long time ("This place.../ has been abandoned./ Let go of./ Shutters loose on windows,/ the grass left unmowed,/ nothing blooming or/ growing"). Upon arrival, she meets cheerful Clint, a teenage resident who immediately offers to help the mother-daughter duo settle in. But Clint's friends are wary ("they should know/ that we are not their staff/ or their servers"), and Chloe's occasional missteps and classist behavior prompt feelings of shame within her and animosity among the other teens. When the group finds out that Chloe sings and writes music, however, they invite her to participate in their jam sessions, growing closer as a result. While characters often feel stereotypical and some poems are repetitive, Hagan (Don't Call Me a Hurricane) utilizes sensate verse to summarily cover hefty topics including financial precarity and privilege, as well as adeptly cultivate a sense of place that proves lively and immersive. Protagonists read as white; supporting characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 13--up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--The Brooks family has it all; everything money can buy, giving them the perfect lives, especially Chloe, who has always been handed whatever is required to make her dreams a reality. But when it is discovered that her father has been committing fraud, the family loses everything--everything except for the Limestone Apartments, a rundown complex on the wrong side of Lexington, KY. Chloe is sure her life is ending when she and her mom have to move into one of the apartments, but when she meets a group of teens also living there, she begins to learn that money isn't everything and that her new life could be even better than before. This novel-in-verse explores socioeconomic inequality and the way in that money gets tied up in identity. The portrayal of Chloe and her mother struggling to find who they are without the trappings of money and status is honestly depicted, with a lot of tears, backward steps, and effort on their part. Chloe's relationships with the other teens, Clint in particular, is a refreshing change of pace as they are never cold or unwelcoming, even in her snobbiest of moments, while gently shutting down her rudeness and challenging her to be better. An undercurrent of a love for music makes the verse writing a nice fit for this work, though a more lyrical tone throughout would have made the novel stronger. With the exception of one teen living at Limestone who is Mexican, race of all the characters is ambiguous. VERDICT A riches-to-rags story that celebrates the way people shine beneath the artifice of money.--Mariah Smitala
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
"What Money Can Do / Make you feel invincible. // What No Money Can Do / Make you feel invisible." As the daughter of one of Lexington, Kentucky's wealthy families, Chloe Brooks leads a privileged life. As she readies for a summer including a trip to Europe and music camp in Los Angeles, she parties the night away alongside her boyfriend and best friend at an event celebrating her father's success. The next morning, Chloe's life is upended as she watches her father's arrest on fraud charges. She and her mother retreat to Limestone Apartments, a complex on the racially integrated working-class side of town where Chloe's mother grew up. Long neglected and in disrepair, the complex is their only asset that the state can't seize since it's in her mom's name alone. Chloe's culture shock is soothed by the camaraderie of the complex's teen residents, especially the charming optimist Clint Jackson, who shows Chloe that kindness and love don't cost a thing. Highlighting Chloe's insecurity, shame, and increasing self-awareness, the book elicits readers' empathy as she struggles, learns, and develops a newfound sense of self. However, the story sometimes glosses over the harsh realities of poverty and racism, risking making the Limestone community feel like props for Chloe's growth. The mother-daughter relationship shines brightest, while Clint's buoyant attitude keeps the tone afloat. Primary characters are cued white; secondary characters are identified as Black, Latine, and queer. A bitter start leads to a sweet conclusion. (Verse fiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
