What do you think?
Rate this book
Don't Fail Me Now
Michelleand her little siblings Cass and Denny are African-American and living on the poverty line in urban Baltimore, struggling to keep it together with their mom in jail and only Michelle’s part-time job at the Taco Bell to sustain them.
Leahand her stepbrother Tim are white and middle class from suburban Maryland, with few worries beyond winning lacrosse games and getting college applications in on time.
Michelle and Leah only have one thing in common: Buck Devereaux, the biological father who abandoned them when they were little.
After news trickles back to them that Buck is dying, they make the uneasy decision to drive across country to his hospice in California. Leah hopes for closure; Michelle just wants to give him a piece of her mind.
Five people in a failing, old station wagon, living off free samples at food courts across America, and the most pressing question on Michelle’s mind is: Who will break down first--herself or the car? All the signs tell her they won’t make it. But Michelle has heard that her whole life, and it’s never stopped her before....
Leahand her stepbrother Tim are white and middle class from suburban Maryland, with few worries beyond winning lacrosse games and getting college applications in on time.
Michelle and Leah only have one thing in common: Buck Devereaux, the biological father who abandoned them when they were little.
After news trickles back to them that Buck is dying, they make the uneasy decision to drive across country to his hospice in California. Leah hopes for closure; Michelle just wants to give him a piece of her mind.
Five people in a failing, old station wagon, living off free samples at food courts across America, and the most pressing question on Michelle’s mind is: Who will break down first--herself or the car? All the signs tell her they won’t make it. But Michelle has heard that her whole life, and it’s never stopped her before....
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2015
31 people are currently reading
2886 people want to read
About the author
Una LaMarche
6 books195 followersUna LaMarche is a writer and amateur Melrose Place historian who lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, her son, and her hoard of vintage Sassy magazines. Una used to be a fancy magazine and newspaper editor before she had a baby and started writing from home, sometimes pantsless, for a living. Her first novel, Five Summers, is being released from Razorbill in May, and she’s currently in development on a second. She also writes for The New York Observer (of which she is a former managing editor), The Huffington Post, Vegas Seven, NickMom, and Aiming Low. Una continues to blog at The Sassy Curmudgeon, which she started in 2006 as a way to bring shame to her family. You can find her on Twitter under the handle @sassycurmudgeon. (If she’s not there, she’s probably trolling the internet for celebrity blind items or bulk candy.)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
January 9, 2016
I was rooting for this book. But, in the end, I had one big problem and a bunch of small ones.
I may have to spoil some stuff in order to talk about this. So, yeah, Here Be Spoilers.
First, the stuff I like: love-makes-a-family theme, biracial protagonist, road trip, and both addiction and social class dealt with in an authentic, thoughtful way. And I LOVED the shaggy-dog ending. It's rare that a book has the courage to deny its protagonists the reconciliation with the piece of shit estranged parent and just be like, "yeah, this guy was a piece of shit." So all that is awesome.
Small problems: I never bought the love story. It felt pro-forma and inauthentic. And, by the end, the whole thing wound up with a kind of "everything but the kitchen sink" melodrama feel--suicide attempt, coming out, interracial love, class differences, neglectful parents, addiction... well, you get the idea.
Leah was so underdeveloped as to be practically invisible. I didn't really understand why Cass and Michelle warmed up to her so much.
And now, the big problem:
Race.
Now, I'm not gonna say a white author can't write a black main character. That's a small-minded, stupid idea.
But I am gonna say this: black characters should be black. Not white with dark skin. I just never, from page one, believed that Michelle was a black girl who lived in a poor black neighborhood of Baltimore. Because she talks like an upper-class white woman.
Is this better than a white author writing cringeworthy "urban English" that they don't have an ear for? Absolutely. Is it good, though? No.
Because here's the thing: there is absolutely nothing shameful or bad about speaking a dialect of English that is not white suburban English. And there is just no way a black girl in a black neighborhood talks like a 35-year-old white woman. Hell, my white son with two white parents speaks "urban English" or whatever you want to call it when he's with his friends, many of whom are black. It's not just the language of black people: it's the language of urban teens. And to deny it is to deny the culture that it arises from. Which is to do a disservice to these characters and to the real people who belong to the groups they're supposed to represent.
(Aside: this is another reason why the children's publishing industry needs to diversify. I once had a publishing professional tell me I couldn't have black characters sounding like actual black people because "they don't sound intelligent." I am not making this up. Is this what happened to Una Lamarche, or did she make the terrible decision to whitewash Michelle's language on her own? I don't know, but either way, somebody needed to say, "you know what, this is a bad idea.")
And so, I think we wind up with a really well-meaning author and story that wind up reinforcing a classic racist idea: "I don't mind black people, as long as they don't act so...black." Michelle is a black character, but she and her whole family sound like white people, which denies the reality of black life and the beauty of black language and makes this book that tries to address racial issues just seem hopelessly chickenshit to me.
I may have to spoil some stuff in order to talk about this. So, yeah, Here Be Spoilers.
First, the stuff I like: love-makes-a-family theme, biracial protagonist, road trip, and both addiction and social class dealt with in an authentic, thoughtful way. And I LOVED the shaggy-dog ending. It's rare that a book has the courage to deny its protagonists the reconciliation with the piece of shit estranged parent and just be like, "yeah, this guy was a piece of shit." So all that is awesome.
Small problems: I never bought the love story. It felt pro-forma and inauthentic. And, by the end, the whole thing wound up with a kind of "everything but the kitchen sink" melodrama feel--suicide attempt, coming out, interracial love, class differences, neglectful parents, addiction... well, you get the idea.
Leah was so underdeveloped as to be practically invisible. I didn't really understand why Cass and Michelle warmed up to her so much.
And now, the big problem:
Race.
Now, I'm not gonna say a white author can't write a black main character. That's a small-minded, stupid idea.
But I am gonna say this: black characters should be black. Not white with dark skin. I just never, from page one, believed that Michelle was a black girl who lived in a poor black neighborhood of Baltimore. Because she talks like an upper-class white woman.
Is this better than a white author writing cringeworthy "urban English" that they don't have an ear for? Absolutely. Is it good, though? No.
Because here's the thing: there is absolutely nothing shameful or bad about speaking a dialect of English that is not white suburban English. And there is just no way a black girl in a black neighborhood talks like a 35-year-old white woman. Hell, my white son with two white parents speaks "urban English" or whatever you want to call it when he's with his friends, many of whom are black. It's not just the language of black people: it's the language of urban teens. And to deny it is to deny the culture that it arises from. Which is to do a disservice to these characters and to the real people who belong to the groups they're supposed to represent.
(Aside: this is another reason why the children's publishing industry needs to diversify. I once had a publishing professional tell me I couldn't have black characters sounding like actual black people because "they don't sound intelligent." I am not making this up. Is this what happened to Una Lamarche, or did she make the terrible decision to whitewash Michelle's language on her own? I don't know, but either way, somebody needed to say, "you know what, this is a bad idea.")
And so, I think we wind up with a really well-meaning author and story that wind up reinforcing a classic racist idea: "I don't mind black people, as long as they don't act so...black." Michelle is a black character, but she and her whole family sound like white people, which denies the reality of black life and the beauty of black language and makes this book that tries to address racial issues just seem hopelessly chickenshit to me.
May 3, 2017
Usually for road trip novels it's a hit or miss with me- actually to be completely honest, I'd forgotten I had checked this out until I saw it was the last day on my Overdrive rental. Better late than never, I supposed. As soon as I started, DON'T FAIL ME NOW consumed me. I loved Michelle's voice even if at times I thought she made an unjustly assumption. Cass & Denny made for a sweet addition of siblings & I felt the novel took a unique twist. The circumstances were predictable, but the outcomes were unexpected.
I do have to say the romance in here didn't make me a big fan. Tim & Michelle's feelings towards each other didn't seem all that authentic, making it really hard for me to buy their affection. I would have liked for Leah to play a larger part considering Michelle & Cass harbored unresolved feelings for her. The ending was cute, but left some major points up in the air. (Literally.)
I also want to touch base that while Michelle calls individuals out for their white privilege, there are some things that were not handled well, especially the Navajo Reservation scene. She also acknowledges individuals sitting "Indian style". I wish this would have been discussed & handled better, especially since Michelle never had a problem speaking up.
A different take on a road trip/coming of age tale- I'm glad I had a chance to read this before it expired & I would give another one of LaMarche's books a go.
I do have to say the romance in here didn't make me a big fan. Tim & Michelle's feelings towards each other didn't seem all that authentic, making it really hard for me to buy their affection. I would have liked for Leah to play a larger part considering Michelle & Cass harbored unresolved feelings for her. The ending was cute, but left some major points up in the air. (Literally.)
I also want to touch base that while Michelle calls individuals out for their white privilege, there are some things that were not handled well, especially the Navajo Reservation scene. She also acknowledges individuals sitting "Indian style". I wish this would have been discussed & handled better, especially since Michelle never had a problem speaking up.
A different take on a road trip/coming of age tale- I'm glad I had a chance to read this before it expired & I would give another one of LaMarche's books a go.
March 10, 2021
Full Review on The Candid Cover
A realistic road trip book with a unique twist. Readers will be both inspired and moved by this novel. Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche has a perfect mix with its gripping plot line, plucky protagonist and so much diversity.
The most fantastic thing about Don’t Fail Me Now is its plot. This is such an amazing road trip novel that follows Michelle, who meets her stepsister for the first time and learns that their father is dying. With very little cash and a beat-up station wagon, they travel across the country to visit him. Not everything goes as planned, which makes this book very realistic and more entertaining to read. Don’t Fail Me Now is definitely different from other road trip books, however, because it is not as upbeat and picture perfect.
Michelle is an amazing main character for Don’t Fail Me Now. She goes through so many events that are very hard on her and her siblings, like her mother being in prison and having to work at the Taco Bell to pay rent to live with her own aunt. Despite all this, she doesn’t really complain and is very selfless. She takes care of her siblings all by herself and still manages to remain pretty positive. I really admired this, because it shows that no one’s life is perfect and speaks to her incredible determination.
The way that Una LaMarche weaves diversity into Don’t Fail Me Now is so unique. I have read quite a few books recently that have attempted adding cultural diversity and some don’t pull it off well. This book explores different cultures in an authentic manner. For example, the main character and her siblings are African-American and don’t have a lot of money. When they meet their stepsister and stepbrother who are white and fairly wealthy, they learn through their interactions that everyone is different and essentially to not judge a book by its cover. While, not a unique concept, it is an important one that LaMarche has seamlessly included in her writing.
If you are on the hunt for a book that has a different vibe from the typical road trip novel, you will find that Don’t Fail Me Now is the perfect choice. It will take you on a cross country adventure with a selfless main character and a diverse theme that is like no other. Pack some tissues for this ride, however, as it is sure to bring on some feels.
A realistic road trip book with a unique twist. Readers will be both inspired and moved by this novel. Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche has a perfect mix with its gripping plot line, plucky protagonist and so much diversity.
The most fantastic thing about Don’t Fail Me Now is its plot. This is such an amazing road trip novel that follows Michelle, who meets her stepsister for the first time and learns that their father is dying. With very little cash and a beat-up station wagon, they travel across the country to visit him. Not everything goes as planned, which makes this book very realistic and more entertaining to read. Don’t Fail Me Now is definitely different from other road trip books, however, because it is not as upbeat and picture perfect.
Michelle is an amazing main character for Don’t Fail Me Now. She goes through so many events that are very hard on her and her siblings, like her mother being in prison and having to work at the Taco Bell to pay rent to live with her own aunt. Despite all this, she doesn’t really complain and is very selfless. She takes care of her siblings all by herself and still manages to remain pretty positive. I really admired this, because it shows that no one’s life is perfect and speaks to her incredible determination.
The way that Una LaMarche weaves diversity into Don’t Fail Me Now is so unique. I have read quite a few books recently that have attempted adding cultural diversity and some don’t pull it off well. This book explores different cultures in an authentic manner. For example, the main character and her siblings are African-American and don’t have a lot of money. When they meet their stepsister and stepbrother who are white and fairly wealthy, they learn through their interactions that everyone is different and essentially to not judge a book by its cover. While, not a unique concept, it is an important one that LaMarche has seamlessly included in her writing.
If you are on the hunt for a book that has a different vibe from the typical road trip novel, you will find that Don’t Fail Me Now is the perfect choice. It will take you on a cross country adventure with a selfless main character and a diverse theme that is like no other. Pack some tissues for this ride, however, as it is sure to bring on some feels.
August 15, 2018
Sooooo I finally finished this book. It took forever because I was listening to it on audiobook in the car and my commute to work is no longer as long as it was before I moved. The premise for this book was good; however, I think that Una LaMarche didn't deliver the way that I expected. I didn't think that the romance was necessary and I also felt as though she spend to long dragging out certain sections of the book. I'll be discussing more of my issues with the book in my review. It was just an okay book. I'm not sure I'll be interested in picking up anything else from her.
May 25, 2016
All of Una LaMarche’s books just got audiobook versions in September, coinciding with the release of Don’t Fail Me Now. I’d been curious about LaMarche’s books, but, since I didn’t have review copies, I’d not gotten around to trying any of them yet; I realize how pompous that sounds but my schedule is my schedule. As such, I was thrilled when they showed up in the Penguin Random House audiobook emails. First, I listened to Like No Other, which surprised me with its sweetness and intensity. Having read Don’t Fail Me Now, I am just so impressed with LaMarche’s talent because, while being a totally different topic and subject matter, she brings the same talent to bear for another beautiful story.
Like No Other and Don’t Fail Me Now have a lot in common: diversity, heart, teens that act like teens (in ways that you sometimes want to shake them for because you love them and things clearly will not end well), and a strong focus on family (either the one you’re born to and the one you choose). Though the characters and voices and circumstances differ greatly, there’s a thoughtful, respectful, touching core that feels the same between the two novels. LaMarche has really blown me away.
Don’t Fail Me Now opens with Michelle and her siblings Cass and Denny in jail. Their mom has been arrested, once again, for drug use and possession. Michelle, the oldest, is trying to hold things together, trying to figure out how to keep child protective services from taking them and separating them. Michelle has spent a lot of her life being the most responsible person in the family, and she’s already considering whether she should become the official guardian for her younger siblings when she turns eighteen.
Michelle has a really hard life, and that bit there was really just the start of it. Their dad (Michelle’s and Cass’ biologically, but they also pretend he’s Denny’s dad too to make things easier on the kid since they don’t know who his dad is) left them when Cass was just a baby, abandoning them for the woman he was having an affair with and his other daughter. Now that their mom has been arrested again, they have no one to turn to but their money-grubbing aunt, who is charging them rent so high they can’t afford to pay it and also drive to school (illegally since Michelle isn’t supposed to drive with minors in the car yet) off just Michelle’s Taco Bell paycheck. Not to mention that her mom wants Michelle to post her $4000 bail. Things are bad, and that’s still not all.
Cass is being bullied in school, insulted for sexuality. Michelle had no idea until she witnessed it, because her sister’s so quiet, and she’s not sure if that’s true or not; obviously, she doesn’t care what Cass’ sexuality is because she loves her sister and is a good person. Michelle does worry about Cass, but she doesn’t know how to handle the situation, especially since she’s focused on making sure they can eat and have a place to live. Meanwhile, Denny’s being kicked out of his school because he’s so disruptive. The school thinks he needs to go to a school where he’ll get special attention to suit his needs. It’s not clear what’s up with Denny but he clearly requires special teaching, which Michelle doesn’t know how to handle either, especially without money. Then there’s the news that deadbeat, druggie, disappearing dad Buck Deveraux is dying, which comes from the white stepbrother of Michelle’s half sister, the one the dad left Michelle’s family for.
With all of this, I’d expect Don’t Fail Me Now to be one of those relentlessly depressing books where nothing good ever happens, but it isn’t. For all that everything is falling apart in Michelle’s life, there’s a sweetness and lightness to it too. Yes, things are terrible and you will feel so fucking sad for Michelle, Cass, and Denny, because they have been dealt a rotten hand in life and they’re such great people. At the same time, though, they tell jokes and love one another fiercely, and you’ll end up smiling too. I’ve never been moved by those books that imply that when things are sad, that’s all they are; I find myself laughing every time a new catastrophe hits. When the characters keep trying to laugh in the face of danger and remain hopeful despite the crap, I get hit really hard by the emotions.
The one place I struggled with Don’t Fail Me Now was the road trip. I totally get why Michelle decided to take her siblings and gtfo in a quest to see Buck. Sure, odds are against him having anything to offer them in their dire straits, but she doesn’t know what else to do. Cass goes along with the cross-country (Maryland to California) drive in a beat up old car with weird rattles and probably not enough money because anything’s better than facing school. Denny’s a little kid and just thinks it sounds fun. What I don’t get is why Leah (half-sister) and Tim (half-sister’s stepbrother) decide that this sounds like a good idea. It’s obviously a ride with the hot mess express. I just don’t think they would have agreed to that, nor did the initial description or the reaction of their parents really seem consistent with the people that we meet at the end of the book.
That said, the road trip itself is great. All of the fighting and the bonding is on point. Sure, they’re mostly all related by blood somehow (except for Tim), Don’t Fail Me Now hits the found family trope for me. Blood isn’t the greatest indicator for being good friends. It’s against the odds that they will come together the way they do. Michelle has to check Leah and Tim are the middle class white kid privilege a lot and the dynamics have to be worked out, but there’s something really magical that happens here. I especially love the way they all work together to make sure they can get enough gas and food to survive the sojourn.
The romance reminds me of Like No Other a bit. Tim and Michelle are pretty cute together, but there’s also just something SO young and teen about it. That’s a good thing, but it’s also not a thing that I ship particularly. They very much fall into that instalove place because youthful naivete and first feelings and all of that. I’m not sure if they’ll work things out in the future, but I am glad that Michelle has him for right now because she could use something happy and cute in her life, and a romance with Tim fits the bill. I do wish that, in the romance, and everything else too, that Don’t Fail Me Now had gone just a little bit further, rather than ending where it did.
Now I just need to acquire a print copy of LaMarche’s debut Five Summers because I didn’t care for that audiobook narrator. If you’ve not given LaMarche a try yet, you very much need to, especially if you’re a proponent of diverse books, which every good person is obviously.
Like No Other and Don’t Fail Me Now have a lot in common: diversity, heart, teens that act like teens (in ways that you sometimes want to shake them for because you love them and things clearly will not end well), and a strong focus on family (either the one you’re born to and the one you choose). Though the characters and voices and circumstances differ greatly, there’s a thoughtful, respectful, touching core that feels the same between the two novels. LaMarche has really blown me away.
Don’t Fail Me Now opens with Michelle and her siblings Cass and Denny in jail. Their mom has been arrested, once again, for drug use and possession. Michelle, the oldest, is trying to hold things together, trying to figure out how to keep child protective services from taking them and separating them. Michelle has spent a lot of her life being the most responsible person in the family, and she’s already considering whether she should become the official guardian for her younger siblings when she turns eighteen.
Michelle has a really hard life, and that bit there was really just the start of it. Their dad (Michelle’s and Cass’ biologically, but they also pretend he’s Denny’s dad too to make things easier on the kid since they don’t know who his dad is) left them when Cass was just a baby, abandoning them for the woman he was having an affair with and his other daughter. Now that their mom has been arrested again, they have no one to turn to but their money-grubbing aunt, who is charging them rent so high they can’t afford to pay it and also drive to school (illegally since Michelle isn’t supposed to drive with minors in the car yet) off just Michelle’s Taco Bell paycheck. Not to mention that her mom wants Michelle to post her $4000 bail. Things are bad, and that’s still not all.
Cass is being bullied in school, insulted for sexuality. Michelle had no idea until she witnessed it, because her sister’s so quiet, and she’s not sure if that’s true or not; obviously, she doesn’t care what Cass’ sexuality is because she loves her sister and is a good person. Michelle does worry about Cass, but she doesn’t know how to handle the situation, especially since she’s focused on making sure they can eat and have a place to live. Meanwhile, Denny’s being kicked out of his school because he’s so disruptive. The school thinks he needs to go to a school where he’ll get special attention to suit his needs. It’s not clear what’s up with Denny but he clearly requires special teaching, which Michelle doesn’t know how to handle either, especially without money. Then there’s the news that deadbeat, druggie, disappearing dad Buck Deveraux is dying, which comes from the white stepbrother of Michelle’s half sister, the one the dad left Michelle’s family for.
With all of this, I’d expect Don’t Fail Me Now to be one of those relentlessly depressing books where nothing good ever happens, but it isn’t. For all that everything is falling apart in Michelle’s life, there’s a sweetness and lightness to it too. Yes, things are terrible and you will feel so fucking sad for Michelle, Cass, and Denny, because they have been dealt a rotten hand in life and they’re such great people. At the same time, though, they tell jokes and love one another fiercely, and you’ll end up smiling too. I’ve never been moved by those books that imply that when things are sad, that’s all they are; I find myself laughing every time a new catastrophe hits. When the characters keep trying to laugh in the face of danger and remain hopeful despite the crap, I get hit really hard by the emotions.
The one place I struggled with Don’t Fail Me Now was the road trip. I totally get why Michelle decided to take her siblings and gtfo in a quest to see Buck. Sure, odds are against him having anything to offer them in their dire straits, but she doesn’t know what else to do. Cass goes along with the cross-country (Maryland to California) drive in a beat up old car with weird rattles and probably not enough money because anything’s better than facing school. Denny’s a little kid and just thinks it sounds fun. What I don’t get is why Leah (half-sister) and Tim (half-sister’s stepbrother) decide that this sounds like a good idea. It’s obviously a ride with the hot mess express. I just don’t think they would have agreed to that, nor did the initial description or the reaction of their parents really seem consistent with the people that we meet at the end of the book.
That said, the road trip itself is great. All of the fighting and the bonding is on point. Sure, they’re mostly all related by blood somehow (except for Tim), Don’t Fail Me Now hits the found family trope for me. Blood isn’t the greatest indicator for being good friends. It’s against the odds that they will come together the way they do. Michelle has to check Leah and Tim are the middle class white kid privilege a lot and the dynamics have to be worked out, but there’s something really magical that happens here. I especially love the way they all work together to make sure they can get enough gas and food to survive the sojourn.
The romance reminds me of Like No Other a bit. Tim and Michelle are pretty cute together, but there’s also just something SO young and teen about it. That’s a good thing, but it’s also not a thing that I ship particularly. They very much fall into that instalove place because youthful naivete and first feelings and all of that. I’m not sure if they’ll work things out in the future, but I am glad that Michelle has him for right now because she could use something happy and cute in her life, and a romance with Tim fits the bill. I do wish that, in the romance, and everything else too, that Don’t Fail Me Now had gone just a little bit further, rather than ending where it did.
Now I just need to acquire a print copy of LaMarche’s debut Five Summers because I didn’t care for that audiobook narrator. If you’ve not given LaMarche a try yet, you very much need to, especially if you’re a proponent of diverse books, which every good person is obviously.
August 21, 2015
Michelle, Cass and Denny find themselves in a sticky situation when their mother ends up in prison. The three of them are placed in a home where they are less than welcome, given many rules, and are even forced to pay rent. When Michelle learns that their biological father, who left them at a very young age, is dying, she takes it upon herself to contact their half-sister, Leah, who she’s never met. Together, along with Leah’s stepbrother, Tim, the group decides to take a cross-country road trip to find their father and say their peace before his passing. This group of teens, who have basically nothing in common, except for the grudges they hold, set off to find the man who did them wrong. Leah is hoping for closure, while Michelle just wants to give him her two cents. They have next to no money, are living on any free food they can find, driving in a beat-up old car, and dealing with the lowest level of poverty they have ever encountered. Will they make it to California before it’s too late?
Don’t Fail Me Now was a touching story of inner growth and relationships. Don’t be fooled by the description… it’s not as light and fun as it sounds. This was a deep, thought-provoking, and emotional read. We are shown a group of kids living on the poverty line in Baltimore with a mother who has substance abuse issues and is sent to jail. A father who abandoned his children, never looking back. Race is also very prevalent in this story. Michelle, Cass and Denny are all African-American, while Leah and Tim are Caucasian. Health concerns/issues were also addressed in a very real and emotional way.
My main complaint was how this story addressed serious issues, but only on the surface and didn’t dive deep enough into them to really satisfy me. The major instance of this was dealing with race and the white privileged. It was mentioned, but not addressed thoroughly. I would have liked to have seen the story go deeper into the issues, rather than just skimming the surface, for both race and social class.
The pacing of the story was overall okay, but I honestly felt a little bored during the middle of the story. I thought the beginning and end surpassed the middle by far. The middle lacked a lot, felt almost dragging, yet not addressing anything substantially. I guess I just wanted more after a strong beginning.
Regardless of my few issues, I did really like this book. I liked the strong focus on family. Though the parental involvement wasn’t all too present, the sibling relationships were a large part of this story. The impact the family’s actions had on each other, the way they all stuck together even through the toughest of times, and the amount of love and attention Michelle put into her family, whether it was intentional or forced, was enlightening. It wasn’t all positive though. This story had a lot of sadness, anger, and regret. It packed a punch to the gut. Another great book to add to the diversity catalog that appears to be quickly growing… finally! (Yay for diversity!!)
Audiobook Impressions:
This is my first glimpse into Adenrele Ojo’s narration. She has 20+ books under her belt, yet I believe this is the only YA book she’s narrated. Either way, I really enjoyed her as the narrator. She was a perfect Michelle, for starters. I did think she did a pretty good job performing all the characters, but Michelle was definitely the most striking. This audiobook was short and a very quick listen. I’d definitely recommend the audio of this book.
(Thanks to Listening Library for the review copy!)
Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
Don’t Fail Me Now was a touching story of inner growth and relationships. Don’t be fooled by the description… it’s not as light and fun as it sounds. This was a deep, thought-provoking, and emotional read. We are shown a group of kids living on the poverty line in Baltimore with a mother who has substance abuse issues and is sent to jail. A father who abandoned his children, never looking back. Race is also very prevalent in this story. Michelle, Cass and Denny are all African-American, while Leah and Tim are Caucasian. Health concerns/issues were also addressed in a very real and emotional way.
My main complaint was how this story addressed serious issues, but only on the surface and didn’t dive deep enough into them to really satisfy me. The major instance of this was dealing with race and the white privileged. It was mentioned, but not addressed thoroughly. I would have liked to have seen the story go deeper into the issues, rather than just skimming the surface, for both race and social class.
The pacing of the story was overall okay, but I honestly felt a little bored during the middle of the story. I thought the beginning and end surpassed the middle by far. The middle lacked a lot, felt almost dragging, yet not addressing anything substantially. I guess I just wanted more after a strong beginning.
Regardless of my few issues, I did really like this book. I liked the strong focus on family. Though the parental involvement wasn’t all too present, the sibling relationships were a large part of this story. The impact the family’s actions had on each other, the way they all stuck together even through the toughest of times, and the amount of love and attention Michelle put into her family, whether it was intentional or forced, was enlightening. It wasn’t all positive though. This story had a lot of sadness, anger, and regret. It packed a punch to the gut. Another great book to add to the diversity catalog that appears to be quickly growing… finally! (Yay for diversity!!)
Audiobook Impressions:
This is my first glimpse into Adenrele Ojo’s narration. She has 20+ books under her belt, yet I believe this is the only YA book she’s narrated. Either way, I really enjoyed her as the narrator. She was a perfect Michelle, for starters. I did think she did a pretty good job performing all the characters, but Michelle was definitely the most striking. This audiobook was short and a very quick listen. I’d definitely recommend the audio of this book.
(Thanks to Listening Library for the review copy!)
Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
July 9, 2017
Trigger Warning: various slurs (ableism, homophobia, misogyny).
The Adventures in Babysitting meets Shameless. The romantic road trip adventure for poor girls of color with daddy issue.
It was a cute bit of contemporary ya with a nice romantic subplot. What I liked was how it's told from the perspective of a biracial black girl living below the poverty line. This is the kind of book I would have loved as a young teen (13-14). Sweet, funny, hopeful, but grounded enough to feel fairly realistic.
Yeah, there some handwavey moments where you have to willing buy into the plot, but honestly no more than you do in any high concept ya novel. So really it's not a fair critique of the book.
The only real issues I have is the overuse of dated references (mostly to the 80s). While a few times the reason a teenage girl is referencing things like Rambo and the Hardy boys is explained, a lot more isn't. It's obvious that author's own voice leaks into the narrative a lot. While I have no issue with some of the purple prose and far too insightful for kids this age who are living hand to mouth, I don't think that's too big of an issue either. Teen Me would have thought it was cool. 🤷🏽♀️
I know what you're thinking. "If you don't think it's bad, why did you give it only three stars?" Because it wasn't my fave, though it was entertaining. It was ok. Which isn't bad. Just not my fave.
I'd recommend this for younger teens, definitely for reluctant readers who have experience with being poor and being a caretaker to siblings or parents. Considering how the majority of contemporary YA centers on middle class white kids this might be the book to help those kids who don't see themselves in fun romantic escapism.
The Adventures in Babysitting meets Shameless. The romantic road trip adventure for poor girls of color with daddy issue.
It was a cute bit of contemporary ya with a nice romantic subplot. What I liked was how it's told from the perspective of a biracial black girl living below the poverty line. This is the kind of book I would have loved as a young teen (13-14). Sweet, funny, hopeful, but grounded enough to feel fairly realistic.
Yeah, there some handwavey moments where you have to willing buy into the plot, but honestly no more than you do in any high concept ya novel. So really it's not a fair critique of the book.
The only real issues I have is the overuse of dated references (mostly to the 80s). While a few times the reason a teenage girl is referencing things like Rambo and the Hardy boys is explained, a lot more isn't. It's obvious that author's own voice leaks into the narrative a lot. While I have no issue with some of the purple prose and far too insightful for kids this age who are living hand to mouth, I don't think that's too big of an issue either. Teen Me would have thought it was cool. 🤷🏽♀️
I know what you're thinking. "If you don't think it's bad, why did you give it only three stars?" Because it wasn't my fave, though it was entertaining. It was ok. Which isn't bad. Just not my fave.
I'd recommend this for younger teens, definitely for reluctant readers who have experience with being poor and being a caretaker to siblings or parents. Considering how the majority of contemporary YA centers on middle class white kids this might be the book to help those kids who don't see themselves in fun romantic escapism.
Read
September 2, 2015LaMarche, author of the super-great memoir Unabrow, returns with a young adult novel about teens living in Maryland. Michelle and Leah must overlook their different racial and economic backgrounds to come together over the thing they have in common: their father, Buck, who is dying. LaMarche writes a compassionate story of forgiveness and how privilege divides even those related by blood.
Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/category/all-the-...
Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/category/all-the-...
October 23, 2015
[See the full review at thoughts and afterthoughts.]
Rating: 2.5/5
Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr review:
– A road-trip book brimming with intersectionality/diversity
– Slow-paced writing and feeling of being disengaged from the cast and their conflict made the experience a bit of a drag
– Romance in this book is off-center of incest (not actually…but the half-sister’s brother is the interest)
– Raises awareness to racial discrimination and microaggressions, economic disparity, gender roles, physiological concerns (diabetes), privilege, etc., but doesn’t cause its importance to resonate
Initial Thoughts:
Someone needs to explain to me why road trip books are so wonderful because I’m all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Full disclosure: I received an advanced reader copy of Don’t Fail Me Now from the Book Blog Ontario Meet-Up. I extend thanks to RazorBill for providing me with the opportunity to review this book.
Rating: 2.5/5
Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr review:
– A road-trip book brimming with intersectionality/diversity
– Slow-paced writing and feeling of being disengaged from the cast and their conflict made the experience a bit of a drag
– Romance in this book is off-center of incest (not actually…but the half-sister’s brother is the interest)
– Raises awareness to racial discrimination and microaggressions, economic disparity, gender roles, physiological concerns (diabetes), privilege, etc., but doesn’t cause its importance to resonate
Initial Thoughts:
Someone needs to explain to me why road trip books are so wonderful because I’m all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Full disclosure: I received an advanced reader copy of Don’t Fail Me Now from the Book Blog Ontario Meet-Up. I extend thanks to RazorBill for providing me with the opportunity to review this book.
December 17, 2015
Don’t Fail Me Now is a unique, diverse, moving road-trip novel chock full of interesting characters and all the feels. Forced into a terrible situation by their absentee mother, Michelle, Cass, and Denny (three African American children surviving on Michelle’s part time job at Taco Bell) join forces with their newly found half-sister Leah and her stepbrother Tim (white, middle-class, and taken care of) on a cross-country road trip to meet Buck, their dying father who left them years ago. Nothing goes as planned and the hardships the group faces both brings them closer together and pushes them farther apart. Michelle is a strong character who takes care of her family; she’s been through a lot in her short life and doesn’t let it get to her. I think this shows what an incredible, hardworking character she is, but I also appreciated the scenes where it is very obvious that she is only human.
I think my main issue was that, while race and white-privilege are brought up, they aren’t as well-addressed as I would have liked. I think the story could have gone a little deeper into these issues. My other complaint was the middle part of the book, which dragged a bit to me, especially considering the strong beginning.
The bottom line: Diversity; road-trip; strong main character; hardships and persistence. If any of those things sound like something you’d like, pick this one up.
I think my main issue was that, while race and white-privilege are brought up, they aren’t as well-addressed as I would have liked. I think the story could have gone a little deeper into these issues. My other complaint was the middle part of the book, which dragged a bit to me, especially considering the strong beginning.
The bottom line: Diversity; road-trip; strong main character; hardships and persistence. If any of those things sound like something you’d like, pick this one up.
Read
August 27, 2015This is a mixed bag of a book. It's engaging with an outstanding voice in Michelle. LaMarche does a great job of offering a black girl growing up in a broken home, with a substance abusing mother, with little income, two siblings, and few opportunities for success. More, there were moments when I utterly related to Michelle and the serious thoughts and struggles she had about learning she could meet her stepsister -- the child born by a woman her father cheated on her mother for -- since this is close to my own story.
The road trip element of this story is well done, with realistic twists and turns, as well as challenges. I wish we'd seen more of it, though. There are moments of real awareness of being young, a car full of mixed race teens/kids of various ages, but it's not pushed quite enough for me. Especially when we get to the fact there are issues with race and prejudice brought up in the story. Specifically, the handling of being on the Navajo Reservation was not done well. The microaggressions add up, including a moment of surprise when I saw Michelle say she was sitting "Indian-style" at the Grand Canyon. That term went out of vogue a long time ago, and a teen of Michelle's age would likely have never actually heard that growing up in school, where it's now "criss cross" or some variation thereof. Likewise, there were some on-the-line descriptions of a Hispanic woman in the book that didn't sit well with me. For featuring a marginalized main character and her story, it was sort of surprising how easily and unchecked some of the things Michelle said went. They felt outside of her voice and experience....or at least, it felt weird she wasn't called on it, as ready as she was to call out Tim and Leah on their white privilege (which she does).
It was really refreshing to read a YA story not from a privileged main character, and I thought, too, the problems that emerged were realistic to her situation...and not easily solved
Readers looking for a road trip story about family, friendship, and just a tiny hint of romance, this should fit the bill. This book would be fine to hand to younger YA readers, too, as the "bad" things that happen all have consequences (and the "bad" things are Michelle's mother ending up behind bars for her substance abuse issues -- that's all).
The road trip element of this story is well done, with realistic twists and turns, as well as challenges. I wish we'd seen more of it, though. There are moments of real awareness of being young, a car full of mixed race teens/kids of various ages, but it's not pushed quite enough for me. Especially when we get to the fact there are issues with race and prejudice brought up in the story. Specifically, the handling of being on the Navajo Reservation was not done well. The microaggressions add up, including a moment of surprise when I saw Michelle say she was sitting "Indian-style" at the Grand Canyon. That term went out of vogue a long time ago, and a teen of Michelle's age would likely have never actually heard that growing up in school, where it's now "criss cross" or some variation thereof. Likewise, there were some on-the-line descriptions of a Hispanic woman in the book that didn't sit well with me. For featuring a marginalized main character and her story, it was sort of surprising how easily and unchecked some of the things Michelle said went. They felt outside of her voice and experience....or at least, it felt weird she wasn't called on it, as ready as she was to call out Tim and Leah on their white privilege (which she does).
It was really refreshing to read a YA story not from a privileged main character, and I thought, too, the problems that emerged were realistic to her situation...and not easily solved
Readers looking for a road trip story about family, friendship, and just a tiny hint of romance, this should fit the bill. This book would be fine to hand to younger YA readers, too, as the "bad" things that happen all have consequences (and the "bad" things are Michelle's mother ending up behind bars for her substance abuse issues -- that's all).
September 15, 2015
Thanks First-to-Read for this advanced readers copy of this lovely book Don't Fail Me Now, written by Una LaMarche. In exchange for this copy, I have promised a honest review.
Don't' Fail Me Now tells the story of three near homeless kids who are struggling to find normalcy in the grimy streets of Baltimore. With a mom who is struggling to over come addiction, a father who is long gone, and a money hungry auntie, Michelle (the oldest) is forced to play the parent for herself & two younger siblings.
Michelle is used to her mother making bad decision after next. However, this latest one is proving to be probably the worst and threatens to break up the already dysfunctional family. Now, Michelle is forced to find away to keep her family together. If that isn't enough, Michelle learns of a deep dark family secret, which leaves her wondering about the real reason why her father skipped out on them so long ago.
Ultimately, the kids find themselves on a cross country trip to find their estranged father Buck, who Michelle believes, may be the key to recent and past unanswered life changing events.
Told from the view point of the main protagonist Michelle, I thought La Marche did an excellent job tackling real life issues: racial disparities, homelessness, gender-role conflict, family roles, love, life, death.
I thought the storyline was surprisingly rich and had lots of lays...details, that made everything come to life for me. Although the book cover shows a girl happy and blissful, this book often leads the reader down a much more dark rooted path emotions. Often showing just how twisted and even selfish we can be at times despite known consequences. I actually loved that about this book! I really got the sense of who Michelle was and what made her...her. I connected with this girl and felt like "I'm that girl" at some points in the book. Wonderful experience!
I thought the author did an outstanding job with her world building, better than most YA books I have read in the past which are much more popular, leaving this author unrated in my opinion. It would be nice if the author explored or is exploring the idea of a book 2, maybe even a book 3. I felt like I wanted...needed more. So much more to be explored. This book has a real important message about family and how vital it is to the development of our youth....our communities. It brings you back to the core of what I believe is important...family ties. Family bonds.
So, if you are looking for something with more heart and soul to it, this book is an excellent YA book for you to try out. With that being said, I gave this book...a 4 out of 5 stars.
Don't' Fail Me Now tells the story of three near homeless kids who are struggling to find normalcy in the grimy streets of Baltimore. With a mom who is struggling to over come addiction, a father who is long gone, and a money hungry auntie, Michelle (the oldest) is forced to play the parent for herself & two younger siblings.
Michelle is used to her mother making bad decision after next. However, this latest one is proving to be probably the worst and threatens to break up the already dysfunctional family. Now, Michelle is forced to find away to keep her family together. If that isn't enough, Michelle learns of a deep dark family secret, which leaves her wondering about the real reason why her father skipped out on them so long ago.
Ultimately, the kids find themselves on a cross country trip to find their estranged father Buck, who Michelle believes, may be the key to recent and past unanswered life changing events.
Told from the view point of the main protagonist Michelle, I thought La Marche did an excellent job tackling real life issues: racial disparities, homelessness, gender-role conflict, family roles, love, life, death.
I thought the storyline was surprisingly rich and had lots of lays...details, that made everything come to life for me. Although the book cover shows a girl happy and blissful, this book often leads the reader down a much more dark rooted path emotions. Often showing just how twisted and even selfish we can be at times despite known consequences. I actually loved that about this book! I really got the sense of who Michelle was and what made her...her. I connected with this girl and felt like "I'm that girl" at some points in the book. Wonderful experience!
I thought the author did an outstanding job with her world building, better than most YA books I have read in the past which are much more popular, leaving this author unrated in my opinion. It would be nice if the author explored or is exploring the idea of a book 2, maybe even a book 3. I felt like I wanted...needed more. So much more to be explored. This book has a real important message about family and how vital it is to the development of our youth....our communities. It brings you back to the core of what I believe is important...family ties. Family bonds.
So, if you are looking for something with more heart and soul to it, this book is an excellent YA book for you to try out. With that being said, I gave this book...a 4 out of 5 stars.
January 19, 2016
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
ACTUAL RATING: 3.5
MY THOUGHTS
I kind of picked up this book without even knowing what it was about. It ended up being a road trip book, which I actually love! This book, though, is more serious than more road trip books, which makes so much sense considering the subject matter. This book was still very enjoyable and I actually ended up liking this book.
Michelle lives in poverty with her siblings and single mom, who happens to do drugs. When her mom ends up in jail, Michelle struggles to get enough family to bail her out and to sustain her family. Then Leah and her stepbrother Tim come in. Leah is Michelle's half-sister, that she never met, but knew about. Their dad, Buck Devereaux, left both of their mothers and now he's dying in California. Michelle couldn't care less about Buck, but he supposedly has something that he needs to give her. All of them get into a rickety car to travel all the way to California.
Despite the light cover, this book focused on some more touchy subjects. I actually liked this fact, because it made this more incredibly realistic.
A large factor of this book that I liked is how diverse it is! Yes! This book has a POC MC! Michelle is a great MC. She has had to grow up quickly because of her upbringing and has kind of become another mom to her two siblings. I do not like the circumstances that has lead her to get into this position, but she is strong and she deeply cares about her siblings. Of course, like most people, she has flaws, but it only showed how real she was.
As for romance, there is a teeny tiny bit, which makes me happy. See, romance is okay, but I love it when it doesn't takeover the whole story and eaves room for the plot. The real focus of the book would be family, which is also something that is pushed aside in most YA. This book is all about family. There's Michelle's mom in jail, Buck (the dad that left when she was a child), and a road trip with her own siblings and a stepsister she just met. That's a lot, but I really think that the book dealt with it very well!
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this is a great contemporary featuring a different subject matter and an interesting look on family. I really did enjoy it, even though I didn't give it an enormously high rating. I really do recommend this to fans of contemporary reads!
ACTUAL RATING: 3.5
MY THOUGHTS
I kind of picked up this book without even knowing what it was about. It ended up being a road trip book, which I actually love! This book, though, is more serious than more road trip books, which makes so much sense considering the subject matter. This book was still very enjoyable and I actually ended up liking this book.
Michelle lives in poverty with her siblings and single mom, who happens to do drugs. When her mom ends up in jail, Michelle struggles to get enough family to bail her out and to sustain her family. Then Leah and her stepbrother Tim come in. Leah is Michelle's half-sister, that she never met, but knew about. Their dad, Buck Devereaux, left both of their mothers and now he's dying in California. Michelle couldn't care less about Buck, but he supposedly has something that he needs to give her. All of them get into a rickety car to travel all the way to California.
Despite the light cover, this book focused on some more touchy subjects. I actually liked this fact, because it made this more incredibly realistic.
A large factor of this book that I liked is how diverse it is! Yes! This book has a POC MC! Michelle is a great MC. She has had to grow up quickly because of her upbringing and has kind of become another mom to her two siblings. I do not like the circumstances that has lead her to get into this position, but she is strong and she deeply cares about her siblings. Of course, like most people, she has flaws, but it only showed how real she was.
As for romance, there is a teeny tiny bit, which makes me happy. See, romance is okay, but I love it when it doesn't takeover the whole story and eaves room for the plot. The real focus of the book would be family, which is also something that is pushed aside in most YA. This book is all about family. There's Michelle's mom in jail, Buck (the dad that left when she was a child), and a road trip with her own siblings and a stepsister she just met. That's a lot, but I really think that the book dealt with it very well!
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this is a great contemporary featuring a different subject matter and an interesting look on family. I really did enjoy it, even though I didn't give it an enormously high rating. I really do recommend this to fans of contemporary reads!
November 5, 2016
I love stories about teenagers who end up being responsible (financially or otherwise) for their little siblings due to absent parents, and this one is extra-neat because the girl is trying to keep them temporarily afloat despite inner-city, bottom-of-the-barrel poverty. This eliminates some of the resources a middle class teen in this situation might have, but adds a healthy dose of innate survival skills. The survival element is then combined with a (fool's errand of a poorly-planned) road trip, one of my other favorite tropes in YA.
I lost a sliver of hope on page 49, where almost-18-years-old-with-no-reliable-parent-figures Michelle is literally told "assistant manager job [at Taco Bell] is yours if you want it. $30k, salaried with benefits," and instead of being blown away by this miraculous answer to her problems, she just goes, "Feh. I got dreams," and decides to pin all her hopes on a rumor that she's going to inherit something valuable enough to let her go to college. Child, I have a college degree and that kind of pay still sounds like a fantasy.
But then the book came roaring back with a vengeance. There's a lot of commentary on how easy it is for her to slip through the cracks vs. how much more difficult it would be for, say, a suburban white girl to run off without a lot of accounting for her absence first. It's not meant as a fun road trip, in other words, but that doesn't make it any less fascinating. They literally don't have enough money for gas and food for all 5 to get to California, so they have to get creative in earning both while adhering to a strict "no stealing" code.
It is also one of the few books that, despite addressing "white privilege," manages to present race and class issues in a way that sounds more like, "Have you considered seeing it from this perspective?" rather than a hostile "shame on you for not paying attention and examining yourself before" tone. The only drawback was that I was somewhat bored by Tim and Leah as characters, which was disappointing because Tim was basically the Perfect Gentlemanly Male Teen Protagonist and there is no reason on earth I should not have loved him, except that Michelle was just so very interesting to me that I wanted her to be with someone who wasn't totally out of his element all the time.
I lost a sliver of hope on page 49, where almost-18-years-old-with-no-reliable-parent-figures Michelle is literally told "assistant manager job [at Taco Bell] is yours if you want it. $30k, salaried with benefits," and instead of being blown away by this miraculous answer to her problems, she just goes, "Feh. I got dreams," and decides to pin all her hopes on a rumor that she's going to inherit something valuable enough to let her go to college. Child, I have a college degree and that kind of pay still sounds like a fantasy.
But then the book came roaring back with a vengeance. There's a lot of commentary on how easy it is for her to slip through the cracks vs. how much more difficult it would be for, say, a suburban white girl to run off without a lot of accounting for her absence first. It's not meant as a fun road trip, in other words, but that doesn't make it any less fascinating. They literally don't have enough money for gas and food for all 5 to get to California, so they have to get creative in earning both while adhering to a strict "no stealing" code.
It is also one of the few books that, despite addressing "white privilege," manages to present race and class issues in a way that sounds more like, "Have you considered seeing it from this perspective?" rather than a hostile "shame on you for not paying attention and examining yourself before" tone. The only drawback was that I was somewhat bored by Tim and Leah as characters, which was disappointing because Tim was basically the Perfect Gentlemanly Male Teen Protagonist and there is no reason on earth I should not have loved him, except that Michelle was just so very interesting to me that I wanted her to be with someone who wasn't totally out of his element all the time.
September 14, 2018
A real lovely book about a real-world issue. Amazing writing.
September 27, 2016
Don't Fail Me Now was so cute and definitely not what I was expecting.
GOOD stuff:
• Michelle sounded like an actual smart & funny teen, instead of a middle-aged author's version of it.
• Mistakes were made by aforementioned protagonist, and she learned from them and admitted she was wrong.
• Although the author is white, she talked about systematic racism! Was definitely NOT expecting that after seeing her portrait on the back flap.
• The main characters were complex.
NOT-GOOD stuff:
• There is some mental illness in the book and I feel like it wasn't thoroughly resolved: I felt like it was just a plot device.
• The pacing at the end gets a little choppy–it isn't ridiculous, but it's not as great as at the beginning and middle.
QUESTIONABLE stuff:
• There's two instances where brown skin is compared to food. (My skin is pretty light, so I can't comment on how this makes me feel, I just wanted to mention it.) It's also described as "brown", so I don't know if that kind of ~cancels the food stuff out (since I've heard that the issue with this is that authors feel uncomfortable using the word brown or black to describe skin tones). Read this book?/Thoughts?
Overall I really enjoyed it, and hope other people do too
GOOD stuff:
• Michelle sounded like an actual smart & funny teen, instead of a middle-aged author's version of it.
• Mistakes were made by aforementioned protagonist, and she learned from them and admitted she was wrong.
• Although the author is white, she talked about systematic racism! Was definitely NOT expecting that after seeing her portrait on the back flap.
• The main characters were complex.
NOT-GOOD stuff:
• There is some mental illness in the book and I feel like it wasn't thoroughly resolved: I felt like it was just a plot device.
• The pacing at the end gets a little choppy–it isn't ridiculous, but it's not as great as at the beginning and middle.
QUESTIONABLE stuff:
• There's two instances where brown skin is compared to food. (My skin is pretty light, so I can't comment on how this makes me feel, I just wanted to mention it.) It's also described as "brown", so I don't know if that kind of ~cancels the food stuff out (since I've heard that the issue with this is that authors feel uncomfortable using the word brown or black to describe skin tones). Read this book?/Thoughts?
Overall I really enjoyed it, and hope other people do too
July 20, 2015
In just short of 300 pages, Una LaMarche manages to beautifully create a book filled with diversity, complex characters, witty dialogue, and a bittersweet story that will leave you turning page after page. I really loved Don’t Fail Me Now, and I had a hard time putting it down.
Don’t let the cover or blurb fool you; this isn’t nearly as much as a lighthearted book as its made out to be. Sure, there were some fun moments here and there, but for the most part the story was pretty serious. Michelle’s family is on the verge of falling apart, her mom’s in jail, and she’s the only person in the household making a steady income. It made sense why she left for a spontaneous road trip to California. The story as a whole felt real to me, unlike so many other roadtrip/running away from home stories.
My main issue was the ending, since it simply just didn’t feel satisfying enough for a stand alone. I was a little disappointed to say the least.
When September rolls around, I can't stress enough how highly I recommend reading Don't Fail Me Now. It was a quick, refreshing, read that took me by surprise.
I received an ARC of this book at RT Booklovers Convention Teen Day.
Don’t let the cover or blurb fool you; this isn’t nearly as much as a lighthearted book as its made out to be. Sure, there were some fun moments here and there, but for the most part the story was pretty serious. Michelle’s family is on the verge of falling apart, her mom’s in jail, and she’s the only person in the household making a steady income. It made sense why she left for a spontaneous road trip to California. The story as a whole felt real to me, unlike so many other roadtrip/running away from home stories.
My main issue was the ending, since it simply just didn’t feel satisfying enough for a stand alone. I was a little disappointed to say the least.
When September rolls around, I can't stress enough how highly I recommend reading Don't Fail Me Now. It was a quick, refreshing, read that took me by surprise.
I received an ARC of this book at RT Booklovers Convention Teen Day.
June 4, 2016
What an emotional and complex read!
Michelle was like a mother through this whole book and would do anything for her siblings. It infuriated me when she talked to her mom, and her mom accused her of not taking care of Cass and Denny. Like, you are there mother, where are you? O right, you're in jail...Infuriating.
I kind of assumed Michelle and Leah and all the others would grow close through the journey they took, but they sure did hit a lot of roadblocks.
I didn't care for Buck Devereaux, but if it weren't for him dying, Michelle and Leah probably would have never met. And if they did meet, they probably wouldn't have grown close. The journey to go see Buck made it happen.
I love when books catch you off guard and adds details you didn't see coming. Like when Michelle was leaving the Hospice center, and the lady asked where the other two (kids) were. Michelle thought she meant Cass and Leah when in fact Buck had had two other kids!! Madison and Karen. So a total of 5 kids. Wow. I remember Michelle was jealous earlier in the book when she realized Buck had tattooed Leah's name on his left side; she learned then that Buck had done this for all of his children.
Michelle was like a mother through this whole book and would do anything for her siblings. It infuriated me when she talked to her mom, and her mom accused her of not taking care of Cass and Denny. Like, you are there mother, where are you? O right, you're in jail...Infuriating.
I kind of assumed Michelle and Leah and all the others would grow close through the journey they took, but they sure did hit a lot of roadblocks.
I didn't care for Buck Devereaux, but if it weren't for him dying, Michelle and Leah probably would have never met. And if they did meet, they probably wouldn't have grown close. The journey to go see Buck made it happen.
I love when books catch you off guard and adds details you didn't see coming. Like when Michelle was leaving the Hospice center, and the lady asked where the other two (kids) were. Michelle thought she meant Cass and Leah when in fact Buck had had two other kids!! Madison and Karen. So a total of 5 kids. Wow. I remember Michelle was jealous earlier in the book when she realized Buck had tattooed Leah's name on his left side; she learned then that Buck had done this for all of his children.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2015
Seventeen-year-old Michelle Devereux has been more like a mother to her thirteen-year-old sister, Cass, and six-year-old brother, Denny. She and Cass have the same father, but they haven't seen him in years. They also have a half-sister, Leah. They've never met her. Not until they find out their father is sick and they all, along with Leah's stepbrother, take a road trip from Baltimore to California.
Michelle and company were heading to a destination, but it seemed more like they were runaways, out there lying and stealing to survive. I can't remember how many times I shook my head. The situation could have been handled differently instead of making a spur of the moment decision. Young people out on the road without an adult. Not acceptable. But I was also concerned at times.
Michelle, Cass & Denny: The adults in their lives had issues that caused them to suffer emotionally and psychologically. That was sad.
I did not like reading profanity throughout the story, but despite that, this was a page-turner.
Michelle and company were heading to a destination, but it seemed more like they were runaways, out there lying and stealing to survive. I can't remember how many times I shook my head. The situation could have been handled differently instead of making a spur of the moment decision. Young people out on the road without an adult. Not acceptable. But I was also concerned at times.
Michelle, Cass & Denny: The adults in their lives had issues that caused them to suffer emotionally and psychologically. That was sad.
I did not like reading profanity throughout the story, but despite that, this was a page-turner.
August 21, 2015
At first I was excited about a book that promised to address important issues of race and class privilege, but I was a little disappointed in the execution. It began well, but I found the characters somewhat flat, which I think reduced the discussion of hot issues from poignant to cliche. I hoped for more than that. The romance also lacked chemistry for me and the ending was unrealistically happily ever after, especially considering the author's emphasis on her character's emotional baggage which seemed to disappear in the last chapter.
While this book was not really my cup of tea, the writing was good and it's awesome to see authors taking the time to put important issues of the day into YA literature.
While this book was not really my cup of tea, the writing was good and it's awesome to see authors taking the time to put important issues of the day into YA literature.
August 21, 2017
THIS IS A MUST READ!
Michelle's mother gets thrown in jail...again. Her aunt is wanting her to pay $300 dollars just so Michelle and her younger siblings can have a place to stay. Not to mention, her deadbeat father left her family when she was 7 to go live with his secret family. Everything in Michelle's life has gone wrong, and she doesn't know how to fix it. All of a sudden, one night, a boy (Tim) comes and tells her that her father is dying and her long lost sister wants to meet her. Michelle decides to get everyone together (without their parents permission) and drive out to California to go meet him. Will they make it without getting caught?
Michelle's mother gets thrown in jail...again. Her aunt is wanting her to pay $300 dollars just so Michelle and her younger siblings can have a place to stay. Not to mention, her deadbeat father left her family when she was 7 to go live with his secret family. Everything in Michelle's life has gone wrong, and she doesn't know how to fix it. All of a sudden, one night, a boy (Tim) comes and tells her that her father is dying and her long lost sister wants to meet her. Michelle decides to get everyone together (without their parents permission) and drive out to California to go meet him. Will they make it without getting caught?
March 10, 2016
This is a typical YA novel that focuses on identity, family, and relationships. The plot moves, but unfortunately, I found it to often be boring and lacking innovative prose. The characters lacked depth, and I thought the author could have dug much deeper into the idea of white privilege. She told us that it existed, but didn't let us feel the race issues rise within the story. The relationships between the siblings and the romantic relationships also weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. In a book dealing with difficult situations and emotions, I found myself rather emotionless.
May 22, 2015
I got an advanced readers copy of this book from the rt book convention in Dallas. I was partially disappointed at the ending but also thought it was a good way to end everything. Overall I definitely enjoyed this book!
July 19, 2016
Such a great book about family and race and class and just pulling together to survive despite the crap that life hands you. Michelle is such a memorable character, and even though she's fictional, I really hope things work out for her after the ending of the book.
May 14, 2021
*3.5/5
May 25, 2021
Super great book! Intense at some times, very emotional at some times, and very good at all times.
September 3, 2021
3/5 ⭐️ ~ Review to Come...
September 15, 2015
Michelle Deveraux, the unsung hero of DON’T FAIL ME NOW, has grit. And tenacity. And a resilience like no one I’ve ever met before, fictional or otherwise. Unfortunately, when we’re first introduced to Michelle, life just seems to be beating her up, one punch at a time. The last thing she needs is a half-sister from the other side of the tracks coming in search of her for a quest to find their shared dead beat dad, the very catalyst of her problems. There’s a chance, though, that this road trip might be the one thing to keep her family from falling off the brink. So is it a journey worth embarking?
The first thing that jumped out at me as I turned the first pages of DON’T FAIL ME NOW was the startling resemblance of Michelle to Katniss Everdeen. You know, the little known hero of THE HUNGER GAMES? Yeah, that one. So, just to make it loud and clear, I LOVE Michelle. In fact, I feel like it would be a discredit to Lamrche’s skill to say she created a well-rounded character, when in actuality she wrote a person who could jump off the page into our world in a second. How exactly does she blend the line between realism and fiction, might you ask? I have a theory though that it’s something about the way Michelle finds humor in situations most people would balk at, such as whilst awaiting child protective services while their mother detoxes she explains, in all its twisted ways, their family tree to her seven year old brother. Michelle isn’t the only great character in DON’T FAIL ME NOW though, the honor also goes to Tim, Cass, and Denny (a little boy who’s probably cuter than the last time a video of a panda sneezing went viral). Tim is a character universally accessible to everyone through his sharp wit, kind heart, and his uncanny tendency to bust into song at the most inopportune moments. He may know he’s dually unprepared for what this road trip is bound to throw at him but he’s not afraid to try. If Tim is the voice of reason that makes Cass the heart and soul, a character who like a bird with a broken wing you just want to scoop up and make her see how great she really is. Oh, and like I said, any scene with a Denny quip is bound to be cuter than a baby a with a head cold. Characters=fabulous!
So what exactly went wrong to make this a three star book for me? Well, lots of things actually. I blame most of them less on the actual book itself and more on the synopsis the publishing house provided and the expectations it gave me. I was under the impression the book would be dually narrated with Michelle telling one part and Leah, her half-sister, filling in the rest. This could have offered all kinds of unique insight and really added fire to the racial tension that is hinted at, but never really comes to fruition, on the cover. It also made it so that even though Leah isn’t a flat character she never became as fleshed out as I thought she needed to be. I often times found her relationship with Michelle very teen soap-opera. They hate each other, they hate each other more, they form a grudging acceptance, and then BOOM! They’re besties. My other major problem was the pacing of the book. As I said before the first hundred pages were great, engaging, and had me excited to turn the pages and find out where Lamarche was taking everything. After that though it was like the story hit a brick wall, where nothing worth noting happened for a hundred pages, and instead of noticing all the good that was happening I only saw the absence of things Lamarche could've done.
So to read or not to read? I think if you go in with an open mind just to enjoy the light hearted humor and easy breezy writing style you'll be very happy with your selection. Even if you're looking for a slightly more thought provoking read, I believe it could still deliver through the characters you'll root for from the very beginning. I'm definitely excited to pick up Una Lamarche's other works!
The first thing that jumped out at me as I turned the first pages of DON’T FAIL ME NOW was the startling resemblance of Michelle to Katniss Everdeen. You know, the little known hero of THE HUNGER GAMES? Yeah, that one. So, just to make it loud and clear, I LOVE Michelle. In fact, I feel like it would be a discredit to Lamrche’s skill to say she created a well-rounded character, when in actuality she wrote a person who could jump off the page into our world in a second. How exactly does she blend the line between realism and fiction, might you ask? I have a theory though that it’s something about the way Michelle finds humor in situations most people would balk at, such as whilst awaiting child protective services while their mother detoxes she explains, in all its twisted ways, their family tree to her seven year old brother. Michelle isn’t the only great character in DON’T FAIL ME NOW though, the honor also goes to Tim, Cass, and Denny (a little boy who’s probably cuter than the last time a video of a panda sneezing went viral). Tim is a character universally accessible to everyone through his sharp wit, kind heart, and his uncanny tendency to bust into song at the most inopportune moments. He may know he’s dually unprepared for what this road trip is bound to throw at him but he’s not afraid to try. If Tim is the voice of reason that makes Cass the heart and soul, a character who like a bird with a broken wing you just want to scoop up and make her see how great she really is. Oh, and like I said, any scene with a Denny quip is bound to be cuter than a baby a with a head cold. Characters=fabulous!
So what exactly went wrong to make this a three star book for me? Well, lots of things actually. I blame most of them less on the actual book itself and more on the synopsis the publishing house provided and the expectations it gave me. I was under the impression the book would be dually narrated with Michelle telling one part and Leah, her half-sister, filling in the rest. This could have offered all kinds of unique insight and really added fire to the racial tension that is hinted at, but never really comes to fruition, on the cover. It also made it so that even though Leah isn’t a flat character she never became as fleshed out as I thought she needed to be. I often times found her relationship with Michelle very teen soap-opera. They hate each other, they hate each other more, they form a grudging acceptance, and then BOOM! They’re besties. My other major problem was the pacing of the book. As I said before the first hundred pages were great, engaging, and had me excited to turn the pages and find out where Lamarche was taking everything. After that though it was like the story hit a brick wall, where nothing worth noting happened for a hundred pages, and instead of noticing all the good that was happening I only saw the absence of things Lamarche could've done.
So to read or not to read? I think if you go in with an open mind just to enjoy the light hearted humor and easy breezy writing style you'll be very happy with your selection. Even if you're looking for a slightly more thought provoking read, I believe it could still deliver through the characters you'll root for from the very beginning. I'm definitely excited to pick up Una Lamarche's other works!
August 21, 2015
For more, visit http://girlwithabookblog.wordpress.com
Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche was absolutely fantastic! Add this book to your TBR list immediately!! I’ve been reading my fair share of YA books this season and hadn’t really enjoyed any of them to the point that I was beginning to think that I’d gotten too old and jaded to connect with the storylines. However, Don’t Fail Me Now proved my hypothesis completely wrong! This book is going to be a lot of things for a lot of people, but I’ll settle with explaining what this book meant to me.
The book’s protagonist is Michelle, the 17-year-old eldest child of a temporarily incarcerated mother and a father who deserted her family when Michelle was young. Due to her absentee parents, Michelle is tasked with raising her two younger siblings, a 13-year-old sister who is struggling with being 13 amidst all of her family’s issues and a 6-year-old brother. For the duration of the novel, Michelle’s siblings are dependent on her minimum wage income from her part-time job at Taco Bell. Those circumstances alone would be enough to give Michelle a very complicated life, but the book continues to delve deeper.
The action starts when Michelle is approached by her sibling’s stepbrother… of a different sibling than the two that I’ve already described. When Michelle’s father left Michelle’s family, he shacked up with a new partner and had another daughter who is 13, the same age as the younger sister that lives with Michelle. Sound complicated, yet? The stepbrother explains that Michelle’s father is dying and wants to see her before he passes. After some grumblings, the group of five minors decides to trek across the country to see their shared, dying father. The struggles they encounter as they drive across the country and realize the differences that exist amongst the siblings are what makes this novel so spectacular.
The book also lightly brushes upon what it’s like to be mixed-race and the struggle of encountering peers who don’t check their privilege. Some reviewers have pointed out that they wanted the book to explore these issues more deeply, but I felt like they were detailed enough for their points to be made and I know they’ll likely serve as an entry point to understanding those issues for some readers. If LaMarche had stressed these points further, I think the book may have come off as too preachy to some readers.
I loved this book when I read it as a person in my early 20s, but I needed this book as a young teenager. As someone who had a similarly complicated life to Michelle that involved living paycheck-to-paycheck, doing more for my sibling than any eldest sibling should be asked to do, and having “secret” family members, I would have loved to have read a story that depicted a situation similar to mine. When I was growing up, I felt like my own story was so crazy that there was no way that any of my peers could ever relate. If I had been able to read a book like Don’t Fail Me Now, I would have known that, while my experience is still probably rare-ish, it’s not completely isolated and is a life that many have shared. I hope this book manages to fall into the hands of kids who have similar stories to mine and the protagonist’s and provides them the comfort and shared story that I felt was lacking from most of the books I read as a teen.
Disclaimer: I was provided with an Advance Reader Copy of this book for free from the Penguin First to Read program. All opinions expressed in the following review are my own and have not been influenced by Penguin.
Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche was absolutely fantastic! Add this book to your TBR list immediately!! I’ve been reading my fair share of YA books this season and hadn’t really enjoyed any of them to the point that I was beginning to think that I’d gotten too old and jaded to connect with the storylines. However, Don’t Fail Me Now proved my hypothesis completely wrong! This book is going to be a lot of things for a lot of people, but I’ll settle with explaining what this book meant to me.
The book’s protagonist is Michelle, the 17-year-old eldest child of a temporarily incarcerated mother and a father who deserted her family when Michelle was young. Due to her absentee parents, Michelle is tasked with raising her two younger siblings, a 13-year-old sister who is struggling with being 13 amidst all of her family’s issues and a 6-year-old brother. For the duration of the novel, Michelle’s siblings are dependent on her minimum wage income from her part-time job at Taco Bell. Those circumstances alone would be enough to give Michelle a very complicated life, but the book continues to delve deeper.
The action starts when Michelle is approached by her sibling’s stepbrother… of a different sibling than the two that I’ve already described. When Michelle’s father left Michelle’s family, he shacked up with a new partner and had another daughter who is 13, the same age as the younger sister that lives with Michelle. Sound complicated, yet? The stepbrother explains that Michelle’s father is dying and wants to see her before he passes. After some grumblings, the group of five minors decides to trek across the country to see their shared, dying father. The struggles they encounter as they drive across the country and realize the differences that exist amongst the siblings are what makes this novel so spectacular.
The book also lightly brushes upon what it’s like to be mixed-race and the struggle of encountering peers who don’t check their privilege. Some reviewers have pointed out that they wanted the book to explore these issues more deeply, but I felt like they were detailed enough for their points to be made and I know they’ll likely serve as an entry point to understanding those issues for some readers. If LaMarche had stressed these points further, I think the book may have come off as too preachy to some readers.
I loved this book when I read it as a person in my early 20s, but I needed this book as a young teenager. As someone who had a similarly complicated life to Michelle that involved living paycheck-to-paycheck, doing more for my sibling than any eldest sibling should be asked to do, and having “secret” family members, I would have loved to have read a story that depicted a situation similar to mine. When I was growing up, I felt like my own story was so crazy that there was no way that any of my peers could ever relate. If I had been able to read a book like Don’t Fail Me Now, I would have known that, while my experience is still probably rare-ish, it’s not completely isolated and is a life that many have shared. I hope this book manages to fall into the hands of kids who have similar stories to mine and the protagonist’s and provides them the comfort and shared story that I felt was lacking from most of the books I read as a teen.
Disclaimer: I was provided with an Advance Reader Copy of this book for free from the Penguin First to Read program. All opinions expressed in the following review are my own and have not been influenced by Penguin.
January 25, 2016
This was a road trip kind of book. Yeah, you've heard the like: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, Two-Way Street. But this one is a little bit different.
The book follows Michelle, an African-American high-schooler who takes care of her two younger siblings (Cass and Denny) due to an absent deadbeat father and a frequently-jailed mother with a drug addiction. Michelle and her family know incredible struggle, and it looks like she's going to know even more: her deadbeat father? Yeah, he has another daughter from another woman. And he's also dying all the way across the country in California. So Michelle takes Cass, Denny, and her half sister (and her stepbrother) in an epic car ride across the country that will test all of them.
This book was very well-written and well-paced and handled intense problems like racism, poverty, and the difficulty of growing up without a parent. The characters are mostlywell-written and true to life. This book is diverse, realistic, and something you are surely going to enjoy.
However, some parts of the books fell flat, and these were mostly character points. Some of the main characters (namely thinking of Tim and Leah, the half-sister and stepbrother) seemed to be a bit boring. They had intense stories that were worth telling, but they seemed to be glossed over. They lacked story, development, and motive , which was a crying shame because I really liked the potential they had as characters.
Also, another "fall flat moment": minor
But let's be real: the strong point of this book was Michelle, a young black teenager working to support her family because of the absence of her parents. She and her siblings have faced racism from their peers, bullying from their classmates, extortion from their aunt (whatever happened to family?), the possibility of being entered into Child Protection Services, and other terrible events. And the fact that they still manage to rise above all of this hatred and hardship is just amazing. LaMarche did an amazing job writing about the struggle that Michelle and her siblings had to face.
TLDR
This book was really good, and I would definitely suggest you read it. The few problems with characters didn't subtract at all from my enjoyment of this book, and Michelle's story is an incredible story of an amazingly strong woman. I will definitely be checking out more of Una LaMarche's books.
The book follows Michelle, an African-American high-schooler who takes care of her two younger siblings (Cass and Denny) due to an absent deadbeat father and a frequently-jailed mother with a drug addiction. Michelle and her family know incredible struggle, and it looks like she's going to know even more: her deadbeat father? Yeah, he has another daughter from another woman. And he's also dying all the way across the country in California. So Michelle takes Cass, Denny, and her half sister (and her stepbrother) in an epic car ride across the country that will test all of them.
This book was very well-written and well-paced and handled intense problems like racism, poverty, and the difficulty of growing up without a parent. The characters are mostlywell-written and true to life. This book is diverse, realistic, and something you are surely going to enjoy.
However, some parts of the books fell flat, and these were mostly character points. Some of the main characters (namely thinking of Tim and Leah, the half-sister and stepbrother) seemed to be a bit boring. They had intense stories that were worth telling, but they seemed to be glossed over. They lacked story, development, and motive , which was a crying shame because I really liked the potential they had as characters.
Also, another "fall flat moment": minor
But let's be real: the strong point of this book was Michelle, a young black teenager working to support her family because of the absence of her parents. She and her siblings have faced racism from their peers, bullying from their classmates, extortion from their aunt (whatever happened to family?), the possibility of being entered into Child Protection Services, and other terrible events. And the fact that they still manage to rise above all of this hatred and hardship is just amazing. LaMarche did an amazing job writing about the struggle that Michelle and her siblings had to face.
TLDR
This book was really good, and I would definitely suggest you read it. The few problems with characters didn't subtract at all from my enjoyment of this book, and Michelle's story is an incredible story of an amazingly strong woman. I will definitely be checking out more of Una LaMarche's books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews