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Pin Drop
Self-proclaimed atheist virgin, Mo Perez, has no interest in meeting Mr. Right.
She has enough problems trying to cope with her foster care upbringing, her alternative education classes, and constant financial hardships thanks to Marci, her 21-ear-old sister and legal guardian who refuses to get a real job. It’s a lot for a 16-year-old to handle. But Mo Perez is no ordinary 16-year-old.
Her razor sharp wit and unmistakable street smarts earn her the nickname Pin Drop. One brilliantly executed remark from Mo Perez will silence any room and leave everyone wondering how they were outsmarted by a snarky teenager without a dime to her name.
Mo lets her tender side shine through to four individuals that will never judge her: Fez, Kneehi, CiCi, and Jake. Who needs human friends when you have four dogs to keep you company?
When Marci skips town with their only source of income, Mo is determine to survive on her own. Losing the struggle to make ends meet, Mo is faced with a tough choice: foster care or homelessness. She chooses homelessness.
Crafty and creative, Mo will figure out how to keep food in her stomach, clothes on her back, and start a romantic relationship while hiding the fact she has no place to call home.
"Pin Drop is a must read. Mo Perez will stay with you long after you close the back cover of this book and her story is both tragic and heroic. Roz Monette has written a book that elevates realistic fiction." -- Chris Crutcher, author, Period 8
She has enough problems trying to cope with her foster care upbringing, her alternative education classes, and constant financial hardships thanks to Marci, her 21-ear-old sister and legal guardian who refuses to get a real job. It’s a lot for a 16-year-old to handle. But Mo Perez is no ordinary 16-year-old.
Her razor sharp wit and unmistakable street smarts earn her the nickname Pin Drop. One brilliantly executed remark from Mo Perez will silence any room and leave everyone wondering how they were outsmarted by a snarky teenager without a dime to her name.
Mo lets her tender side shine through to four individuals that will never judge her: Fez, Kneehi, CiCi, and Jake. Who needs human friends when you have four dogs to keep you company?
When Marci skips town with their only source of income, Mo is determine to survive on her own. Losing the struggle to make ends meet, Mo is faced with a tough choice: foster care or homelessness. She chooses homelessness.
Crafty and creative, Mo will figure out how to keep food in her stomach, clothes on her back, and start a romantic relationship while hiding the fact she has no place to call home.
"Pin Drop is a must read. Mo Perez will stay with you long after you close the back cover of this book and her story is both tragic and heroic. Roz Monette has written a book that elevates realistic fiction." -- Chris Crutcher, author, Period 8
222 pages, ebook
Published November 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 15, 2023
Pin Drop was shockingly incredible and was far from what I expected it to be!
I hate to say it, but Pin Drop is one of my favourite books in a long time! It has many wonderful elements that flow smoothly together and make it a fantastic read.
To begin with, this novel has a sarcastic sense of humor. Not an incredibly rude one, but a perfectly timed sense of humor. I loved this aspect of the novel. The main character, Pin Drop, has great timing and makes a comment at just the right time to brighten the novel up with a splash of humor.
Then, the story has an excellent set of characters. These characters are all unique and have different backgrounds, which is a good start. But, Roz Monette continues to build on these characters by adding more to their back story and personalities. None of the characters act out of place and they all grow throughout the novel. I appreciate that in a novel, and this brings this novel up another level compared to other similar books.
Roz Monette also adds to this novel with a beautiful, realistic plot. A young girl left to fend on her own in the current age - it happens more than you think! This plot shows how strong a girl can be and what people will go through to keep themselves safe.
Within this plot, to make my inner girlie girl happy, Roz throws in a small love story. It was sweet, cute, and also realistic for this time period. There were a few bumps in this, seeing as an adult man was willing to stay with a teenager, but that to happens in the real world so it didn't affect the novel to much. I just see that bothering some readers in the future - but it's not a terrible flaw, it shows character within the love interest. He actually likes the woman, not the looks or reputation it will give him (it's not like she'd 13 and he's 25, she's almost an adult - 17 -so it seems very realistic)
If that wasn't enough, the overlying theme of the entire novel was fantastic! If you work hard, stick to your guns and be strong, you can get through this. The many layers to this story show the main character going through hard times, but she continued to work through each of them. Yes, she had hiccups and speed bumps along the way, but she kept working to keep herself safe. She was determined to move her life forward, and that's what she ended up doing.
Overall, I loved this book! I wish it were longer and had a billion sequels because I loved these characters so much!
Five out of five stars!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I hate to say it, but Pin Drop is one of my favourite books in a long time! It has many wonderful elements that flow smoothly together and make it a fantastic read.
To begin with, this novel has a sarcastic sense of humor. Not an incredibly rude one, but a perfectly timed sense of humor. I loved this aspect of the novel. The main character, Pin Drop, has great timing and makes a comment at just the right time to brighten the novel up with a splash of humor.
Then, the story has an excellent set of characters. These characters are all unique and have different backgrounds, which is a good start. But, Roz Monette continues to build on these characters by adding more to their back story and personalities. None of the characters act out of place and they all grow throughout the novel. I appreciate that in a novel, and this brings this novel up another level compared to other similar books.
Roz Monette also adds to this novel with a beautiful, realistic plot. A young girl left to fend on her own in the current age - it happens more than you think! This plot shows how strong a girl can be and what people will go through to keep themselves safe.
Within this plot, to make my inner girlie girl happy, Roz throws in a small love story. It was sweet, cute, and also realistic for this time period. There were a few bumps in this, seeing as an adult man was willing to stay with a teenager, but that to happens in the real world so it didn't affect the novel to much. I just see that bothering some readers in the future - but it's not a terrible flaw, it shows character within the love interest. He actually likes the woman, not the looks or reputation it will give him (it's not like she'd 13 and he's 25, she's almost an adult - 17 -so it seems very realistic)
If that wasn't enough, the overlying theme of the entire novel was fantastic! If you work hard, stick to your guns and be strong, you can get through this. The many layers to this story show the main character going through hard times, but she continued to work through each of them. Yes, she had hiccups and speed bumps along the way, but she kept working to keep herself safe. She was determined to move her life forward, and that's what she ended up doing.
Overall, I loved this book! I wish it were longer and had a billion sequels because I loved these characters so much!
Five out of five stars!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2016
Issues like homelessness loom ever-larger on the horizon, especially in western countries where you'd think we were wealthy enough as nations to ensure everyone has the minimum requirements of food and shelter. This feels especially true when it comes to children.
Yet homelessness continues, spurring less compassion and more censure - not of the system but of individuals living on the streets. Young, fit and healthy? Why haven't you got a job? Why aren't you at home? Why aren't you in foster care, at least? The idea seems to be that if you're on the street, that's where you want to be.
Of course, it's a much more complex issue than that, with neglect, abuse, poverty and mental health issues among the many contributing factors. It can be hard to wrap your head around it all, or to work out how to help.
Cedar Grove Publishing, which has a catalogue of strong titles under its banner, brings the excellent Pin Drop, by Roz Monette, to the table.
Pin Drop is narrated by Mo Perez, a very smart 16 year old living below the poverty line with her older sister (her legal guardian) having escaped from a foster system that failed them both. She's a voracious reader, though struggles with basic maths. Her nickname, Pin Drop, was earned by her capacity to drop raw, unvarnished, unpopular facts into thoughtless conversations. Mo finds people difficult, but she adores the dogs she walks to earn a little money.
Then her sister takes off with a new boyfriend, leaving Mo to fend for herself. Despite her best efforts, Mo has to leave school and the cheap, terrible flat she shared with Marci, and ends up on the streets, where she has to survive on her native cunning and merely fifth grade education. Living on her wits and the edge of starvation, she nevertheless strives to remain honest and independent. When she meets Derek, a newbie cop, they both have lessons to learn.
Mo's voice in Pin Drop is raw and powerful. You can feel compassion for her situation but she defies any attempt at pity - she's strong, she is fiercely independent and she's a fighter. Her distrust of people is understandable given her past, but she's far from heartless and has compassion for the underdog. Her integrity comes at a cost but you can't really begrudge her for it.
Mo's story is set in America, and her story isn't everybody's, but it's a powerful insight into how some people end up on the streets, and how difficult it is to get off them again. And she tells it without lecturing, hectoring or preaching. She just tells it like it is.
The book is pitched at older teens, but I think it's an excellent book for anyone who wants a lively, engaging, hard story about a real world topic that seems beyond fixing. It may not solve the issue, but it will give you some insights into the human beings who have to live it.
Yet homelessness continues, spurring less compassion and more censure - not of the system but of individuals living on the streets. Young, fit and healthy? Why haven't you got a job? Why aren't you at home? Why aren't you in foster care, at least? The idea seems to be that if you're on the street, that's where you want to be.
Of course, it's a much more complex issue than that, with neglect, abuse, poverty and mental health issues among the many contributing factors. It can be hard to wrap your head around it all, or to work out how to help.
Cedar Grove Publishing, which has a catalogue of strong titles under its banner, brings the excellent Pin Drop, by Roz Monette, to the table.
Pin Drop is narrated by Mo Perez, a very smart 16 year old living below the poverty line with her older sister (her legal guardian) having escaped from a foster system that failed them both. She's a voracious reader, though struggles with basic maths. Her nickname, Pin Drop, was earned by her capacity to drop raw, unvarnished, unpopular facts into thoughtless conversations. Mo finds people difficult, but she adores the dogs she walks to earn a little money.
Then her sister takes off with a new boyfriend, leaving Mo to fend for herself. Despite her best efforts, Mo has to leave school and the cheap, terrible flat she shared with Marci, and ends up on the streets, where she has to survive on her native cunning and merely fifth grade education. Living on her wits and the edge of starvation, she nevertheless strives to remain honest and independent. When she meets Derek, a newbie cop, they both have lessons to learn.
Mo's voice in Pin Drop is raw and powerful. You can feel compassion for her situation but she defies any attempt at pity - she's strong, she is fiercely independent and she's a fighter. Her distrust of people is understandable given her past, but she's far from heartless and has compassion for the underdog. Her integrity comes at a cost but you can't really begrudge her for it.
Mo's story is set in America, and her story isn't everybody's, but it's a powerful insight into how some people end up on the streets, and how difficult it is to get off them again. And she tells it without lecturing, hectoring or preaching. She just tells it like it is.
The book is pitched at older teens, but I think it's an excellent book for anyone who wants a lively, engaging, hard story about a real world topic that seems beyond fixing. It may not solve the issue, but it will give you some insights into the human beings who have to live it.
March 18, 2016
This book was really good, it was a pretty accurate depiction of what it's like being down and out. I've known a lot of people that were in similar positions and it's not always pretty. I really enjoyed the character development of Mo and I feel like it was the best part of the book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews