Maid for It

by Jamie Sumner

From the acclaimed author of Roll with It comes a relatable and deeply moving middle grade novel about a girl who, in a desperate bid to keep her family afloat, takes over her mom’s cleaning jobs after an injury prevents her from working.

Now that Franny and her newly sober mom have moved to a cozy apartment above a laundromat, Franny’s looking forward to a life where her biggest excitement is getting top grades in math class. But when Franny’s mom gets injured in a car accident, their fragile life begins to crumble. There’s no way her mom can keep her job cleaning houses, which means she can’t pay the bills. Franny can’t forget what happened the last time her mom was the pills that were supposed to help became an addiction, until rehab brought them to Mimi’s laundromat and the support group she hosts.

Franny will not let addiction win again, even if she has to blackmail a school rival to help her clean houses. She’ll make the money and keep her mom sober—there’s no other choice. But what happens if this is one problem she can’t solve on her own?

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Mental Health, Addiction, Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2023

About the author

Jamie Sumner is the author of the critically-acclaimed middle-grade novels, Roll with It, Tune It Out, and One Kid's Trash. Her forth middle-grade novel The Summer of June hits shelves on May 31st, 2022 with Atheneum Books for Young Readers. She is also the author of the nonfiction parenting books, Eat, Sleep, Save the World and Unbound.

She has also written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her at Jamie-Sumner.com

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another powerful middle grade book that addresses the impact of parental addiction on children. This is my first time reading Jamie Sumner, but it definitely won't be my last! CW: PTSD, descriptions of overdose, descriptions of drug use.

Maid for It was an unexpected, yet powerful read! It follows main character Franny who has recently moved with her newly sober mother to a new town in an apartment above a laundromat. It's a chance for Franny and her mother to start new as Franny's mom attempts to remand sober. When the mom gets into a car accident, Franny begins to not only panic about money needed to pay the bills, but also the chance that her mother will break her sobriety due prescription medication offered to her for pain relief. In order to maintain their household, Franny decides to secretly take over her mother's cleaning jobs. Things start off okay, but slowly Franny begins to realize that the burden just may be too difficult to carry alone.

What Worked: This was a raw, yet beautifully crafted novel. There are a handful of books on my TBR that address addiction, but I must admit that this one in particular was not on my radar. Sumner does an excellent job with the character development of Franny. There are a lot of emotions that she attempts to process as she realizes the financial burdens that could possibly impact her family. Franny is overwhelmed, stressed, fearful, and on the edge. Sumner skillfully writes these emotions in a way that they essentially seep off of the page. It gave me a more powerful connection to Franny and my heart ached for the trauma she faced every time she thought her mom had overdosed. There are other middle grade issues that are tackled in this book including first crushes, new friendships, bullying, academics, and more. I appreciated the balance that Sumner was able to create with all these topics. This book doesn't have a perfect ending. Franny's trauma doesn't just disappear and that can be hard to reckon with as a reader; however, it's realistic. There are some pretty impactful lines made by Franny's mom at the end that will resonate with any parent, caregiver, and child that's come into contact with a loved one battling addiction. And Sumner never goes without making sure that Franny has a support system outside of her mother.

Overall, this was a good read and one that I will be adding to my list of recommendations for youth who need books about addiction.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing/Atheneum Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

Unpopular opinion time, I did not enjoy this book in the slightest. I can see that is is important, there are many children who experience a single parent household, food, housing and money insecurity, parents addicted/attempting to stay sober, bullying, etc. This would be important for children going through something similar and for those who aren't, to teach them compassion.

However, I could't take the realism. I read for escape from reality, not to wallow in it. And this, was definitely, reality to the max.

It was written well, in clear language, so I could feel what the poor protagonist was going through and it wasn't pretty.

2.5 stars, rounded down because I just didn't enjoy or finish it because it was too stressful for me. I would recommend this for middle grade readers, with the caveat that the adults who know the middle reader in question should vet before deciding it is appropriate for their reading level or not.

2, I wasn't expecting this to affect me so much, stars.

[Foxy Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book that I read of Jamie Sumner, can I tell you how great she is? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book touches not only on Francis, who is the 12 year old who is in constant fear of her mother relapsing into drug addiction. This also touches on the mother and her AA sponsor, the AA/AAA meetings. The friendship that turns into a real one, instead of being the recipient of the bullying.

There were times when i was reading it, that I found it almost impossible to believe that a 12 year old girl was mentally and physically capable of doing the things she did. But, in the end, I believed it all.

Great book/ausiobook… every mother and daughter should read this.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent and emotionally heavy middle grade novel from one of my favs!! I really enjoy the way that Jamie Sumner isn't afraid to tackle tough topics that so many children unfortunately do have to deal with.

In this story Franny is is forced to shoulder way too much when her newly sober and single mother is in a car accident leaving her unable to work. Franny secretly takes over her mother's house cleaning clients in order to help pay their bills while also worrying her mom will relapse and get addicted to her pain pills.

The therapy, mental health and addiction rep in this book were all excellent! Great on audio too and highly recommended!

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie Sumner’s Maid For It may be her best work, yet and I’ve read almost all of them (Roll With It, Summer of June, Time to Roll, and One Kid’s Trash; only lacking Tune it Out). Franny’s story of taking care of her mom and trying to be the adult in a two member family that includes a mom who has battled drug addiction for years takes a long look at the mixture of feelings that she tries desperately to manage on her own. To make matters worse, mom is in a car accident and left with a broken leg, significant pain and no way to continue cleaning houses. Franny picks up the regular cleaning jobs, continues to deal with a mean girl and cute boy who sit at her table for math, as well as tries to solve their financial woes and watch for signs that her mom may have started using again. Such a great story! Middle grade readers will be ticked that Franny has to take on such responsibilities, angry that Sloan won’t back off from a 6th grade “I’m better than you” attitude, and hopeful that Noah and Franny figure out that they like each other. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. Fellow Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous member Derek is shown at a particularly low point in his drug abuse, but the scenes with him manage to be both realistic as well as not overly graphic. Representation: various family configurations, older town residents presented in supportive & positive ways, Noah is Black and has two moms, other characters present as Caucasian. Target audience: grades 4-7

Thanks for providing an electronic arc, NetGalley.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic middle grade read. This emotional and inspiring story was engaging and I think many people would find this one to be super relatable.

The main character in this story took matters into her own hands when an unfortunate situation occurred within her family. Her character was well developed and dynamic, making her story very inspiring.

Although this book does cover heavy topics, it was done in a way that is very attainable and easily understandable to young readers. Overall this was a great read and I highly recommend it.

[Laura Gardoski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this middle grade novel of a girl trying to be the adult and take care of her mom after her mom’s injury while dealing with the fear of her mom relapsing. Poignant and sincere and believable. I felt the main character’s frustration and anguish, and appreciate her mom’s response and their reconciling at the end.

[Meenal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is gorgeous.

It's about a young girl who has to step up and be a parent because her parents wouldn't. As certain aspects are relatable, I enjoyed it more.

I felt so sorry for her for having to mop floors when she should be studying. My heart hurts at so many incidents. But I love the book all the more for it.

This is a kid's book that will equally appeal to adults.

I recommend it as a must-read.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a back injury, Franny's mom developed an addiction to pain killers, which up-ended their life. Her mom has been sober for three years but when she breaks her leg in a car accident, Franny is not only worried about her mom relapsing but also worried how they're going to pay their bills with her mom being out of work. She devises a scheme to continue cleaning the houses that her mom used to clean but how long can she keep up this secret schedule and her grades, especially when she's got a school bully to deal with and a boy who can't understand why she doesn't have time to go to the middle school dance with him? More importantly, if she's not there to keep an eye on her mom, will she relapse, destroying the life they've painstakingly recreated after the last disaster?

Despite the heavy themes of this book, it's funny and relatable. Even those who haven't dealt with family addiction or parenting a parent will enjoy it and find it moving. Btw, it has a happy ending. :)

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but rounded up. We are really putting our middle grade MCs through trauma in the 2020s huh? I thought that this was well written and interesting and I most liked that it dealt with a type of anxiety that comes with the uncertainty of knowing whether your parent is going to break sobriety. I think what worked best was the gradual friendship between the two girls, I do think that the romance was just kind of slapped on and not really necessary.

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This contemporary middle grade novel packs in a lot of issues - addiction, socioeconomic struggles, familial challenges, strained friendships, trust, and so many more - without feeling didactic. The main character is compelling and there’s an intriguing cast of side characters for added support. This will not only engage young audiences but also be (sadly) relatable in many cases.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried picking up this book more than six times but I just couldn’t get into it. The writing is not for me.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavy topic with light execution. The substance abuse is mentioned, but not explicit. Frannie is a relatable character and I enjoyed her arc.

[kendall₊ ⊹ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having really enjoyed Roll With It and liked Tune It Out, I though that I should read Maid for It. I finished it really quickly and it was pretty entertaining.

I think the reason it's only getting 3 stars is the fact that I have read too many books like this. Its just the daughter trying to make money and help her family stay afloat and she ends up taking on more than she can chew. It just wasn't anything new.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be easy to find readers for since we have students in similar situations. Nice break from the dead parent trope, which if the percentage of books with dead parents matched the overall population, we wouldn’t have an overpopulated planet. This is dead parent trend needs to stop.

[Eliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maid for It
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4/5) or 8.42/10 overall

Characters - 9

Atmosphere - 8

Writing - 9

Plot - 8

Intrigue - 8

Logic - 9

Enjoyment - 8

[Rebecca Shelton · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Maid for It" is a novel that delves into the complexities of a young girl's life as she navigates the treacherous waters of family addiction and personal responsibility. Set in a small, cozy apartment above a laundromat, the story begins with Franny and her sober mother hoping for a fresh start. However, their newfound stability is quickly threatened when Franny's mother is injured in a car accident, rendering her unable to work and pay the bills.

The narrative intensifies as Franny, determined not to let her mother relapse into addiction, takes drastic measures including blackmailing a school rival to help her clean houses. It's a desperate bid to maintain some semblance of normalcy and financial stability. Yet, as the situation spirals, Franny is forced to confront the possibility that some problems are too big to handle alone. The story is deeply rooted in the themes of addiction and recovery, heavily leaning on Alcoholics Anonymous principles and meetings which Franny witnesses. This emphasis, while intended to provide a framework of recovery, comes off as repetitive and insufficiently supportive for Franny's specific needs.

The novel offers a glimpse into the struggles of dependency from the perspective of a child forced to grow up too quickly. Franny's crippling anxiety and her burdensome sense of responsibility to keep her mother sober are poignant aspects of the book, highlighting her need for more than just AA slogans—she needs professional therapy and a supportive community. The portrayal of these heavy themes is well-written and the character development, especially Franny's, is strong. However, the narrative's heavy reliance on recovery slogans and the lack of a robust support system for Franny make the story somewhat triggering and less effective in addressing the nuances of addiction's impact on youth.

While the writing itself is skillful and the friendship elements are touching, the overall execution of the story's themes feels lacking. The novel does not fully address the emotional and psychological support needed by young individuals like Franny, instead placing an overwhelming burden on her young shoulders. It's an important story that doesn't quite deliver the depth and guidance necessary for its intended middle-grade audience.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sumner delivers once again. Thank you SO much for writing a book for middle school students that tackles the topics of addiction and poverty! This age group needs more books like this! I am a middle school librarian, and I will definitely be adding this book to our library.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a middle grade school book about a little girl, whose mother is a recovering addict. They do not have a lot of money, and the mother is a seamstress and makes all of Franny’s clothes with ruffles. She is not a popular kid, and some girls are even bullies to her. When her mother has a car accident and is unable to work, Franny takes over all of her cleaning jobs and even enlists another student to help her. I enjoyed the book. I think kids would enjoy the book too. There’s a lot of sayings in the book, there’s lots of reference to AA meetings, and it was just an all-around feel good book. Mimi was my favorite character!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Franny and her mother are just getting by. Her mother, who has been hospitalized several times for addiction but who has been clean for a while, cleans houses, drives for Uber, and sells craft projects on Etsy to make ends meet. They are fortunate enough to have a low cost apartment over a laundromat run by Mimi, who also runs an AA meeting and helps Franny and her mother out. Franny is used to carefully monitoring her mother and taking care that she eats and doesn't relapse into addiction. She puts up with a lot at school, including the evil Sloan, who looks down her nose at everything Franny does ever since Franny did better on a math assignment than she did. When Franny gets called to the office in the middle of class, she knows it can't be good; she's been called before. This time, Mimi tells her that her mother was in a car accident. It wasn't high and it wasn't her fault, although that is Franny's first question. Her mother's femur is broken, and after surgery to install a pin, she is on a morphine drip for pain. She doesn't want to be in charge of her own medication, but Mimi and Franny are both very concerned. When her mother comes home, she has physical therapy, and since the doctor handed the oxycodone to Franny, she hides it carefully away. She doesn't want her mother to suffer, but doesn't want her to have easy access to the drugs. Franny realizes that they have no income since their car is totalled and her mother can't clean, so she decides to pick up her mother's cleaning jobs herself. It's not easy work, but she brings home money, and saves it in her emergency fund. Of course, things at school slide a bit, and eventually she gets paired with someone for tutoring... and it's Sloan. After she sees Sloan cheating on a math test, she ropes her nemesis into helping her clean. Franny is able to keep things going, even after one of the young men in the AA group shows up at their apartment high and steals her emergency fund. She gets it back, but is angry and even more concerned that her mother will backslide. Living a life that has such a fragile balance is wearing to Franny, and having an unexpected friend in Sloan helps. Will Franny ever be able to trust her mother?
Strengths: I read this at a time (right before school let out for summer!) that nothing was making me happy, and I found myself really enjoying this one. Not only that, but it was easy to remember the plot. The friendship with Sloan progressed in a believable way, and there was a light romance with a boy who gave Franny origami animals in order to cheer her up. What a nice touch. The mother's back story with her parents as well as her various problems, seen through Franny's eyes, give us a good picture of an adult who struggles to raise a child even though she has the best intentions. Mimi is a great character, and reminded me of Bernadette in Weeks' 2004 So B. It. My favorite part was that Franny knew her situation and tried so hard to make everything work. She definitely Does Things, even though Mimi reminds her that she needs to be a kid. Excellent new book from the author of Tune It Out and Roll With It.
Weaknesses: I found it a little hard to believe that Franny's mother would take the time, money, and effort to personally sew ill-considered garments for her. Attaching lace to a sweater would be expensive and time consuming. It seems more likely that her mother would just give him money to buy things at the thrift store, or that she would dress herself from the laundromat lost and found. Clearly a "me" thing.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and I think that this will appeal to young people who want to know about children who are self sufficient and upbeat, even when they don't want to have to fend for themselves and have no reason to have a positive attitude.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though Franny’s life has been relatively stable for the last three years--her mother free of drugs, a home above a laundromat owned by a friend--but she’s always waiting for the thing that once more knocks them into the gutter. Which happens when her mother gets a broken femur in an accident that also totals their van. Now there will be no more money from Uber rides or the houses her mother cleans, plus all the pain killers from the hospital might plunge her mother back into addiction. And that's on top of the enormous hospital bills. Desperately trying to see a way out of things, Franny decides to clean the houses herself so she and her mother will have some income. For most of the houses, the people are away when the cleaner comes, so it’s not as hard as it seems. Except that the work is hard, and makes it even harder for Franny at school. Math is the only class at which she shines, but she starting to doubt her ability in that class as well. Plus, there is a truly obnoxious girl in the class who makes it her life‘s work to make Franny even more miserable. Which makes it ironic when Franny finds out some thing that allows her to blackmail Sloane into helping her clean the houses. Where will it end?

I liked this one a lot. It really shows the effect on a kid of having a parent who struggled with addiction, and made their lives precarious when the children were young. It leaves scars that continue to affect them all. The details and the world building were really well done, with the laundromat and the houses and all the characters. I liked that Franny had a full life with not just her issues at home, but with things at school. I really like that she started to figure out what it meant to be a kid and not the responsible adult she has had to play at being. The only thing I was not as happy with was that she was forced to make so many apologies. While I don’t agree with some of her decisions, I think the extenuating circumstances of her being a PTSD kid make things much more understandable, and I think that it should be her mother who makes those apologies, and not Franny, for at least some of those instances. Otherwise, this one was a winner. I’d recommend it to kids who liked “The benefits of being an octopus.” Thanks to Libro.fm for a free educator copy of the audiobook.

[Karin (msmadeinchina) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though Franny’s mother suffered from a pain pill addiction, she is now sober and makes do with odd jobs here and there to keep them afloat. But when a car accident leaves her unable to continue cleaning houses and driving for Uber, Franny does the math and realizes they aren’t going to be able to make it. She refuses to let her mother’s addiction take over again and decides to take on her mother’s house cleaning clients without her knowledge. When things start getting too hard for her to handle on her own, she turns to blackmailing her school rival to help her clean the houses. What other choice does she have?

Franny is an overachiever who has been through a lot in her young life and, because of this, she overextends herself in order to avoid asking for help - at all costs. She turns inward to find answers, isolating herself from others, whether that be bullies, crushes, or family. Not only is she a super relatable character, but she’s also a great reminder to readers that it is okay to ask for help, especially from those who care about you.

In addition to Franny and her mother, there is a whole supporting cast of characters who have huge impact on Franny’s life and journey. It’s clear that Sumner created rich backstories for each of them even though we don't get them in their entirety. All of the supporting cast in addition to Franny and her mother all feel like fully fleshed out characters, each with their own journeys to complete.

This is a quick read that tackles a lot of heavy emotions and real life issues. Many young readers will, unfortunately, be able to see bits of their own story in Franny’s, but that’s also why this story is so important. Sumner provides a place for those young readers to escape and see that things can and will get better…and that it’s okay to ask for help sometimes.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book for free and have voluntarily written this review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jamie Sumner's books and this one doesn't disappoint! This is the story of Franny and her mom, and Mimi who owns the laundromat below their apartment. Franny's mom had struggled with addiction and Franny has a lot of anxiety about her mom going back to her old ways. When her mom gets into a car accident, Fran is worried about how they will pay their bills. Fran decides she is the one to fix all their problems and she is going to continue to clean houses for her mom's clients. Franny covers up well that it is only her who is cleaning the houses and not her mom.

I liked how this story wasn't dragging on and on to show Franny's struggles to keep up appearances while trying to keep up with school, homework, and the cleaning jobs, and then back home again to help her mom as she recovers from the car accident.

Franny is a character I think many readers can relate to in many different ways. Franny's anxiety, for one, I think is more commonplace, unfortunately, but it is discussed more than it had in the past. Franny is not as well off as her classmates are, but she also doesn't dwell on it either. She doesn't dream about having this or that, she's just trying to stay afloat with her mom and Mimi. Hoping her mom stays sober.

A must-have for all libraries!

@jamiesumner_ #MaidForIt #SchoolLibrary #SchoolLibrarians #ReadABook #Books #Read #SummerReading #KidLit #ElementaryBooks #ElemReads #MGReads MGBooks #MGLit

[Chelsea Barrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was good, truthfully and flowed smoothly. Everything was paced correctly, so no rushed ending which I noticed rushed ending are pretty common in books now.
I think this is a great powerful book for young kids, especially since drugs and alcohol is such a big part of our world today.
This book showed how damaging an addict parent can be on the child; having to be the parent, worrying and scared.
I like the AA/NA meetings that were written, it was truthful both when people showed grace to other addicts, like Derek after the incident, and showed anger towards Derek’s actions.
I think that the lash outs that Franny had were understandable, raw and expected coming from a young girl dealing with something no child should have to deal with.
I think all the characters were complex, that had backstories and moments that felt real, the kids they actually talked like real kids and their actions showed that they were 12 and the adults didn’t feel phony.
The character arc for Sloan wasn’t forced, felt natural which I appreciated, since she herself had her own issues with her overbearing but neglectful father.
I think this is a great book, I would definitely recommend this book to not just kids but adults as well, ones that have dealt with some of the same issues and ones that haven’t. Both could really take away something from this.
I haven’t read this authors other books, but I will now.

[Shriti Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"“You can let it go after that, knowing you’ve done all you can.”
“But what about what they did to me?”
“Well, that’s the thing about people bumping up against each other in a hurting world, Franny. You can’t make anybody else do the right thing. You just have to keep doing the right thing for you.”"

I love this story. Truly!

As someone who knows something about the role reversal in parent-child relationships, I can attest to the fact that the pubescent age is one of the fairly good markers in life, about the kind of person you are going to become as an adult. A core value, a part of the crux of one's personality. For lack of a better description.

This book, this story, provides a vulnerable insight into Franny's psyche and how being high-strung is a survival trait for her, and not just a personality choice. It's poignant yet sweet how she tries to keep her seemingly house of cards from crashing down. It's sweeter still that she's meeting people who not only instill her faith in humanity & herself, but also rally around her as she makes important choices about what to gatekeep, and what to let go.

I don't know about anybody else but sometimes a good, emotionally-charged middle-grade novel is all I need to re-discover the joy of reading. That's the only kind of recommendation I have to offer for this book.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franny is struggling. She and her mom were keeping it together but she still worried that her mother would have a relapse with her drug problems. Suddenly, her mother was in a catastrophic car accident placing her in the hospital on pain medication. Franny is aware of all of their bills and knows there is no money coming in if her mom cannot clean or drive for Uber, what can she do. She begins to take over her mother's cleaning clients without telling her mom what she is doing. Through her struggle to keep it all together, she becomes closer to her tablemates at school and begins to make her own friendships helping her to trust her mom enough to share her worries and what she has been up to. This is an uplifting story of a middle school student that is struggling but also doing positive things to help her situation. She is learning to expand her circle and rely on others allowing her to share her worries and fears. This helps to keep the fears in check and not paralyze Franny. Though Franny did not always make the best choices, lying to her mother's clients, she is able to find new friends, learn to trust her mom a bit more, and see hope in her current situation with her mom. I would recommend this book for most public libraries with a clientele that has struggles, whether these struggles includes substance abuse issues, homelessness, or being unemployed. This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If this is another Before and After, as in ‘before I know the very bad thing and then after,’ I want to stay in the Before.”
🧼
Franny knows there’s only one reason she would be called to the front office during school and that’s because her mother is a recovering addict and has relapsed. Luckily it’s not the worst news ever because Franny’s mom has been in a car accident that wasn’t her fault and is going to recover with physical therapy. Franny knows they need money to pay for the hospital bills so she takes over her mom’s job of cleaning for others, without her mom knowing. Between the new job, the mean girl at school, falling behind in math, a new crush and worrying her mom is going to relapse, Franny is under a tremendous amount of pressure for a kid.
🧼
So many students are in similar situations to Franny and will definitely connect to her struggles. Fans of Thirst by Varsha Bajaj and Violets are Blue by Barbara Dee will really love @jamiesumner_author newest MG title out now!

CW: substance abuse, Narcotics Anonymous, addition, classism, socioeconomic issues, car accident, hospitalization, physical injury

I love Jamie’s books, but this felt different with an older character but it being middle grade. I think it would have worked better as a YA. 3.5 ⭐️

[Paige V · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl tries to fix the misfortunes of her life.

Frances Bishop, or Franny, hasn't had an easy life, given her mother was on drugs (now she is clean) and had to work multiple jobs to pay the bills. But disaster strikes when her mother gets minor injuries in a car accident. With the threat of hospital bills, Franny must take care of her mother, bring home money, and make friends with the unlikeliest people.

This book tackles some complicated subjects: a single mom with financial problems and fear of her mom's drug relapse, but the book explains it smoothly.
The plot could have been faster, though. The main character, Franny, had to grow up so quickly is well-developed. Franny is a determined and intelligent girl. Franny also loves math (the horror). I felt sorry for her for having to clean houses instead of studying. Her mother is kind and a bit tragic, given her circumstances. Mimi (the owner of the laundromat who was an alcoholic) was fierce and yet kind.
The book mentioned a movie I had watched with my family called Legally Blond, which I enjoyed and thought was amusing.

Give this book to anyone who needs to find hope and the drive to get to their goals.
Happy Reading, Paige 📚 ❤️
Thank you to the publisher for sharing this moving story with me!

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I previously experienced Sumner's writing as a narrative in verse, I thought that this book might be the same. It is not. I still found this to be a decent entry on the current year's SCASL list. In this narrative, the main character lives with her mom and her mom's close friend and sponsor. In her past, the main character's mom has struggled with addiction leading to a rock bottom hospital stay and the drive to get and stay clean. When the story opens, the main character's mom cleans homes and drives for Uber to earn an income until a car accident - not her mom's fault - severely injures her mom and opens the potential for relapse as well as throwing the finances into a mess. The main character takes it on herself to keep all of her mom's regular cleaning clients by doing the cleaning herself while trying to not get found out, deal with a school bully, and still complete her homework al while worrying about her mom's sobriety. Sumner does a good job showing the effects of a parent's addiction on their child even after that parent has gotten clean. I enjoyed and appreciated this story.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter selected this as a "summer errands and travel" audiobook and at first, I wasn't really into it. It starts off pretty heavy, with the mother's former addiction looming in the background and the tween protagonist, Franny, having to clean houses to make ends meet. In fact, we almost put this story on pause because we felt it might be too dark; however, the rich cast of supporting characters really pulled us in. We loved Mimi, the older woman who runs the laundromat and the NA support group and serves as a grandmother figure to Franny, as well as Noah, Franny's love interest, and eventually, even bully-turned-ally Sloan. These secondary characters really made the story for us (there is also great diverse representation in this story, which we loved). This is a redemption story, a story that shows that adults, too, mess up in major ways but that everyone deserves the opportunity to try again. My daughter and I both really enjoyed this book and have selected another Jamie Sumner book as our next shared read.