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Kendra
The acclaimed author of TYRELL returns to PUSH with a striking novel about a mother and daughter who are only fourteen years apart, but need to learn to understand each other before it's too late.
Kendra's mom, Renee, had her when she was only 14 years old. Renee and her mom made a deal -- Renee could get an education, and Kendra would live with her grandmother. But now Renee's out of grad school and Kendra's in high school ... and getting into some trouble herself. Kendra's grandmother lays down the It's time for Renee to take care of her daughter. Kendra wants this badly -- even though Renee keeps disappointing her. Being a mother isn't easy, but being a daughter can be just as hard. Now it's up to Kendra and Renee to make it work.
Kendra's mom, Renee, had her when she was only 14 years old. Renee and her mom made a deal -- Renee could get an education, and Kendra would live with her grandmother. But now Renee's out of grad school and Kendra's in high school ... and getting into some trouble herself. Kendra's grandmother lays down the It's time for Renee to take care of her daughter. Kendra wants this badly -- even though Renee keeps disappointing her. Being a mother isn't easy, but being a daughter can be just as hard. Now it's up to Kendra and Renee to make it work.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2008
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3942 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
November 20, 2008
I don't recall the last time I *felt* for a character like I felt for Kendra. Her needs are so on the surface, yet the adults in her life either don't see them or just ignore them. She's well aware that acting out sexually isn't helping, but she can't seem to stop herself. Her friend Adonna is caught up in her own drama. A nice boy likes her, but she can't seem to find it in her to find him attractive. She is paying the penalty for her mother becoming pregnant at 14, and is finding herself in a case of "If you're going to treat me like I'm a bad girl having sex, I might as well just become one."
Highly highly recommended to urban fiction fans.
Highly highly recommended to urban fiction fans.
January 6, 2010
Kendra has been living with her Nana for her whole life while her mother Renee has been working toward a doctorate. Kendra's mother had her when she was just 14 years old, and Nana wanted to make sure that having a child so early early would not prevent Renee from having a successful life. While that goal was met, it did create a rift between Kendra and Renee that left the daughter feeling abandoned and unloved.
Nana has done everything she can to shield Kendra from making the same mistakes Renee made. She does allow Kendra to have time with her father Kenny and her same-aged aunt Adonna, but she is not happy about it ... particularly the latter. Adonna is a good friend, but she exhibits riskier behavior because of her style of dress and the way she obsesses about boys.
Adonna has now set her eyes on Nashawn, the superhunky baseball player who seems to keep checking her out. The problem is that he also starts flirting with Kendra.
When Kendra is starting to feel at her lowest when her mother doesn't come to a theatrical production that Kendra worked hard on the sets for, she finds herself alone with Nashawn. While she highlights the need to protect her virginity, they start a racy physical relationship that allows them to have sex in various locations at school and his house. When Adonna finds out, it leads to a fight, and everything starts to really fall apart.
As with Tyrell, Booth has done a wonderful job with presenting a realistic cast of urban characters. They, and the troubles they face are very realistic. Unfortunately, the tale results with the "moral" that if things are tough with your mom and you are feeling all alone, then you should allow the hot guy at school who treats you pretty crappy to use you for sex, though not in the missionary style, while also stealing him from your best friend/aunt because in the end it will work out:
*he will prove to be a really nice guy who loves you and treats you well even after you take away the booty calls that seemed to be the sole basis for his interest in you
*your mom will realize that she needs to step up and get more involved with your life
*your friend/aunt will forgive you in time for lying to her
*why even bother looking at finding happiness in a relationship with the nice guy who is your friend, treats you with respect, and is interested in you?
The fairy-tale ending leaves me feeling a little stunned. For me it totally ruins the book. I am not usually the type of adult reader that thinks risque behavior should only be included in teen novels to show the horrible consequences, but come on! If you want to write a realistic, urban novel for kids while empowering them, don't create a protagonist that debases herself and then allow everything to turn out all right.
Tyrell, the troubled character from Booth's earlier novel, makes a cameo in the final chapter of the book, allowing readers to see where life has led him.
Nana has done everything she can to shield Kendra from making the same mistakes Renee made. She does allow Kendra to have time with her father Kenny and her same-aged aunt Adonna, but she is not happy about it ... particularly the latter. Adonna is a good friend, but she exhibits riskier behavior because of her style of dress and the way she obsesses about boys.
Adonna has now set her eyes on Nashawn, the superhunky baseball player who seems to keep checking her out. The problem is that he also starts flirting with Kendra.
When Kendra is starting to feel at her lowest when her mother doesn't come to a theatrical production that Kendra worked hard on the sets for, she finds herself alone with Nashawn. While she highlights the need to protect her virginity, they start a racy physical relationship that allows them to have sex in various locations at school and his house. When Adonna finds out, it leads to a fight, and everything starts to really fall apart.
As with Tyrell, Booth has done a wonderful job with presenting a realistic cast of urban characters. They, and the troubles they face are very realistic. Unfortunately, the tale results with the "moral" that if things are tough with your mom and you are feeling all alone, then you should allow the hot guy at school who treats you pretty crappy to use you for sex, though not in the missionary style, while also stealing him from your best friend/aunt because in the end it will work out:
*he will prove to be a really nice guy who loves you and treats you well even after you take away the booty calls that seemed to be the sole basis for his interest in you
*your mom will realize that she needs to step up and get more involved with your life
*your friend/aunt will forgive you in time for lying to her
*why even bother looking at finding happiness in a relationship with the nice guy who is your friend, treats you with respect, and is interested in you?
The fairy-tale ending leaves me feeling a little stunned. For me it totally ruins the book. I am not usually the type of adult reader that thinks risque behavior should only be included in teen novels to show the horrible consequences, but come on! If you want to write a realistic, urban novel for kids while empowering them, don't create a protagonist that debases herself and then allow everything to turn out all right.
Tyrell, the troubled character from Booth's earlier novel, makes a cameo in the final chapter of the book, allowing readers to see where life has led him.
December 30, 2008
This YA books is about a young, highly intelligent black female, living in NYC, whose mother had her at 14 years of age. Kendra lives with he4r grandmother while her mother attends school. As the novel opens, her mother has just completed her PhD at Princeton. Kendra has held a dream that after her mother completes her schooling, the two of them will live together in harmony -- that then her mother will want her in her life. Her father is also a part of her life, although he has never left the Projects in the Bronx where she and her Grandmother lives. But he tries -- delivering small amounts of money regularly, even if he has to borrow it; owning a business even if it does not make enough money to live independently on; being there to speak with her everyday her mother is not.
When Kendra's mother finally gets a job as a university professor but rents a studio apartment where she can connect with her New Jersey policeman boyfriend, Kendra is devastated. She acts out sexually in a couple of scenes which are a bit hard to take, especially given the end of the novel.
These type of YA novels really make my head swirl. While it is evident the children are gifted (attending a special high school), there is the element of what some call "Black English" or ghetto language, seemingly to enhance the inner-city setting. There are no people of other races involved in this world, despite the fact that no culture exists in a void. The sexual acting out is in line with the sociological findings about young people today, yet really out of synch with the culture in which the novel is set, and seems stilted when it is the male who always has a condom despite the supposed "letting go" of feelings which foster the sexual interactions. Emotions are stated, rather than shown, and come across as inserted into the text. It is difficult to become absorbed in the charactrs.
I would definitely use this book in a discussion for YA librarians in a class setting, but am totally unsure when and how I would recommend it for teens.
When Kendra's mother finally gets a job as a university professor but rents a studio apartment where she can connect with her New Jersey policeman boyfriend, Kendra is devastated. She acts out sexually in a couple of scenes which are a bit hard to take, especially given the end of the novel.
These type of YA novels really make my head swirl. While it is evident the children are gifted (attending a special high school), there is the element of what some call "Black English" or ghetto language, seemingly to enhance the inner-city setting. There are no people of other races involved in this world, despite the fact that no culture exists in a void. The sexual acting out is in line with the sociological findings about young people today, yet really out of synch with the culture in which the novel is set, and seems stilted when it is the male who always has a condom despite the supposed "letting go" of feelings which foster the sexual interactions. Emotions are stated, rather than shown, and come across as inserted into the text. It is difficult to become absorbed in the charactrs.
I would definitely use this book in a discussion for YA librarians in a class setting, but am totally unsure when and how I would recommend it for teens.
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February 12, 2009If your parents are like really over protective of you and they are always ridding you about your grades and an stuff and to stay focus..then this would be a good book for your. Because in this book it is about a girl named kendra and she lives with her grandma. Her grandma is like a control freek. as soon as she geets out of school she has to come straight home and if she dosent tell her grandmother that she is leaving then she will get very mad. But eventually she stops putting up with her grandmas stuff and starts doing what she wants to do.. she goes out with friends now and is having a good time.Even a boy is starting to like her.... but if this sounds instreting to you i suggest you read this book .Kendra By Coe Booth.
November 26, 2008
I thought Coe Booth’s first book Tyrell was excellent, so I’d been waiting for Kendra to arrive at my library. Though I didn’t like Kendra as well, I still think that Booth does an amazing job of capturing the thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl with unusual family circumstances growing up in the Bronx. I’ll look forward to more books from this author!
October 25, 2008
I stopped reading it in the middle. I found it slow-moving, and the main character unsympathetic. Where are the positive books where teen girls embrace their sexuality and release themselves from the confines of what they've been taught by society?
July 6, 2008
loved it. every bit.
October 1, 2008
3 1/2 stars. Would like to give it 4 but I found the ending a little too happy and unrealistic. Will still recommend without hesitation to teens.
June 11, 2013
OMGAAAA THIS BOOK IS GOOD TO READ!!
July 2, 2009
Kendra Williamson is fourteen years old and she attends North Bronx High School for Arts and Communications. She loves to draw houses and floor plans; a skill that will lead to a promising career in the future. She's not focusing a whole lot on future plans, though. The main thing that's on her mind, what she wants more than anything, is to spend more time with her mother, Renee.
Kendra lives with her Nana, Valerie. Renee, who gave birth to Kendra in ninth grade, missed ten years of her daughter's life while she finished high school, then college and then grad school. Now she's graduating from Princeton with a PhD and Kendra believes she will finally have a "real" mother. A mother who will be around for more than just minutes at a time and will care about the things she cares about. A mother who will want her. But, sadly, once Renee is back in the Bronx the neglect continues so, desperate for attention, Kendra makes a choice that surprises even her. A choice she regrets, but repeats even though she feels so bad about herself after the first time.
I felt so bad for Kendra. The girl goes out there and makes choices she probably wouldn't have made if somebody would have taken the time to talk to her and, most of all, truly love her. Her mother obviously loved herself more than she loved her daughter. Renee was only concerned about what she wanted and didn't give Kendra a second thought. I was so glad Kendra's Nana cared enough about her granddaughter to raise her. Valerie loved Kendra the best way she knew how, but her way was a bit controlling and smothering. And Kendra's dad, Kenny? Well, it seemed he was still trying to find his own way in the world.
The author was not playin' when she penned this novel. Teenagers are way more mature, way more knowledgeable these days and Coe Booth did not hold back when she wrote about the sexual experiences of her young characters. The things fourteen year old Kendra did really shocked me. And Nashawn Webb, the guy she was with, my goodness, this boy knew as much as a grown man! I was saddened by that, but the reality is there are young people who are growing up way too fast.
There is one thing I learned from reading this book that I did not care to know, and there was quite a bit of profanity to overlook, but this was a good story. And, like I mentioned before, Coe Booth was not playin'! So, if you can handle the truth about the choices "some" young people are making when it comes to sex, you might want to read this book.
Kendra lives with her Nana, Valerie. Renee, who gave birth to Kendra in ninth grade, missed ten years of her daughter's life while she finished high school, then college and then grad school. Now she's graduating from Princeton with a PhD and Kendra believes she will finally have a "real" mother. A mother who will be around for more than just minutes at a time and will care about the things she cares about. A mother who will want her. But, sadly, once Renee is back in the Bronx the neglect continues so, desperate for attention, Kendra makes a choice that surprises even her. A choice she regrets, but repeats even though she feels so bad about herself after the first time.
I felt so bad for Kendra. The girl goes out there and makes choices she probably wouldn't have made if somebody would have taken the time to talk to her and, most of all, truly love her. Her mother obviously loved herself more than she loved her daughter. Renee was only concerned about what she wanted and didn't give Kendra a second thought. I was so glad Kendra's Nana cared enough about her granddaughter to raise her. Valerie loved Kendra the best way she knew how, but her way was a bit controlling and smothering. And Kendra's dad, Kenny? Well, it seemed he was still trying to find his own way in the world.
The author was not playin' when she penned this novel. Teenagers are way more mature, way more knowledgeable these days and Coe Booth did not hold back when she wrote about the sexual experiences of her young characters. The things fourteen year old Kendra did really shocked me. And Nashawn Webb, the guy she was with, my goodness, this boy knew as much as a grown man! I was saddened by that, but the reality is there are young people who are growing up way too fast.
There is one thing I learned from reading this book that I did not care to know, and there was quite a bit of profanity to overlook, but this was a good story. And, like I mentioned before, Coe Booth was not playin'! So, if you can handle the truth about the choices "some" young people are making when it comes to sex, you might want to read this book.
July 19, 2014
In the ghetto, if a boy does anal sex on you, it means he's ready for a relationship.
This feels like "Pride and Prejudice" in the PJ's. It reads like a generic YA romance but with the trappings of so many early 90's "gangsta" movies. Kind of. The main conflict is that Kendra's mother is back after her post-graduate degree, and Kendra's hoping she'll finally take her away from the neighborhood and the strict-ass grandmother who's been raising her for sixteen years.
But the bigger crux of the book is her boy crushes and her sexually acting out as a result of this negligence. Kendra's better than that, but the past is repeating herself as she waffles between the nice guy and the bad boy player, as cliche dictates. Of course, as far as generic YA romance goes, it ends there. Kendra pulls away from sex with the bad boy at the last second, cautious of losing her virginity (for disciplinary and moral reasons). He doesn't force himself or respect her wishes or grow resentful -- he's "going to need something". That devolves into booty calls in the closet after school leading to the butt sex so she can remain "chaste".
And after all that, the fudge packer confesses affectionate feelings for her. And they start going out together. Is this a realistic scenario? Yes. Maturity rides up fast in risky situations. Does it send a good message to American youth? No, it does not. I'm not going to say that a writer can't write what he/she wants, but I'm a believer that books "teach you that dragons can be killed". This moral seems to be, if you give up the rough enough, love is just around the corner.
This feels like "Pride and Prejudice" in the PJ's. It reads like a generic YA romance but with the trappings of so many early 90's "gangsta" movies. Kind of. The main conflict is that Kendra's mother is back after her post-graduate degree, and Kendra's hoping she'll finally take her away from the neighborhood and the strict-ass grandmother who's been raising her for sixteen years.
But the bigger crux of the book is her boy crushes and her sexually acting out as a result of this negligence. Kendra's better than that, but the past is repeating herself as she waffles between the nice guy and the bad boy player, as cliche dictates. Of course, as far as generic YA romance goes, it ends there. Kendra pulls away from sex with the bad boy at the last second, cautious of losing her virginity (for disciplinary and moral reasons). He doesn't force himself or respect her wishes or grow resentful -- he's "going to need something". That devolves into booty calls in the closet after school leading to the butt sex so she can remain "chaste".
And after all that, the fudge packer confesses affectionate feelings for her. And they start going out together. Is this a realistic scenario? Yes. Maturity rides up fast in risky situations. Does it send a good message to American youth? No, it does not. I'm not going to say that a writer can't write what he/she wants, but I'm a believer that books "teach you that dragons can be killed". This moral seems to be, if you give up the rough enough, love is just around the corner.
August 1, 2009
This is an emotional, difficult read. It is so real, it's raw. Booth doesn't let up. This is chock full of confusion, betrayal, abandonment issues and strained relationships. Renee, Kendra's mother, is intelligent,determined and focused. When it comes to school, Renee excels. Parenting- it's a role she's never wanted and she's avoided as long as she can using education as her excuse. Kendra, is a typical teen overwhelmed by her budding sexuality, her longing to be wanted and the anger and resentment she feels for the woman she desperately wants to love her.
Kendra begins to act out including having sex with a boy she knows her teen aunt has a crush on. Her behavior spirals and every family member is forced to deal with what they've all been avoiding, openly addressing Renee's responsibility and her estranged relationship with Kendra.
The pacing, dialogue, scenarios everything rings true to just before the end and that has me scratching my head. I know how these stories play out in real life and I can't understand why Booth throws the reader the relief we stopped expecting to get. This is my only complaint. In real life, Kendra would have spun a lot longer and might not have come out on the other side at least not by a book's end.
Does anyone think a reader would not forgive the writer for ending in the vein she faithfully held us captive for almost the entire novel? Nonetheless, I think this book should be shared with a lot of teens and followed up with discourse. I'd really like to hear how teens process this work and what they think of the ending.
Kendra begins to act out including having sex with a boy she knows her teen aunt has a crush on. Her behavior spirals and every family member is forced to deal with what they've all been avoiding, openly addressing Renee's responsibility and her estranged relationship with Kendra.
The pacing, dialogue, scenarios everything rings true to just before the end and that has me scratching my head. I know how these stories play out in real life and I can't understand why Booth throws the reader the relief we stopped expecting to get. This is my only complaint. In real life, Kendra would have spun a lot longer and might not have come out on the other side at least not by a book's end.
Does anyone think a reader would not forgive the writer for ending in the vein she faithfully held us captive for almost the entire novel? Nonetheless, I think this book should be shared with a lot of teens and followed up with discourse. I'd really like to hear how teens process this work and what they think of the ending.
April 16, 2010
I liked this book because it kept me interested in it. What kendra went through in this book was alot for her to handle, but she got through it and stuck it out. I didnt like this book because Kendra's grandmother didnt give her any freedom at all. She always watched over her 24-7 , like i understand that's ur grand daughter and all but she's like her mother so give her some space. The main charcter is a girl named kendra who is living currently with her grandmother because her mother can't take care of her. Kendra's best friend Adonna both like the same boy, and the boy knows this so he takes advantage and toys with both of them. He has sex with kendra, but goes on dates with Adonna. Kendra knows this but Adonna has no clue. So throughtout the book Kendra struggles with Adonna, the boy(Nashawn), her mother, and grandmother. I rate this book as a 5 star book because It was really interesting. Everytime I started reading I didnt want to put the book back down because I always got so deep into it. I would recommend this book so other teens to read it and enjoy what I have enjoyed reading this book.
October 27, 2010
I think that Coe Booth, the author of the book Kendra, did a very good job getting into the mind of a fourteen-year old female going through the “process” of boys and puberty. I loved the way she expresses some issues that families have, especially within the African-American community. Kendra’s mom had her at the age of fourteen but she was passed on to her grandmother while Kendra’s mom continued her education. Every since then Kendra’s grandmother kept a close eye on her and absolutely dreaded the day when Kendra will become interested in boys. She feared that Kendra was going to turn out like her mom and there will be another child to watch in that household. For Kendra, trouble with boys was definitely calling. And as soon as her little “secret” came out, her whole life went downhill. The author made me feel horrible for Kendra and what she was going through because even though I didn’t do what she did, I can completely relate to her and what was going through her head. This book is awesome and it feels like you grow along with the character as she’s growing.
January 20, 2024
3.75
This was a re-read from when I was in high school. Now, more than ten years later I wanted to see if I still felt the same way about it compared to when I was fifteen-ish because I remember really liking it. I remember really enjoying this but I have a few new thoughts. There might be some spoilers within.
Kendra is a young Black girl living in the projects. She's really smart and has an over-bearing grandma who is obsessed with making sure Kendra stays a virgin (trauma from her mother getting pregnant at her age). Her mother doesn't want her, she can't live with her broke daddy and his daughter/her aunty, and her grandma is getting too old to parent her. As a result, Kendra becomes sexually active with a boy just to feel wanted.
Kendra STAYED making the stupidest decisions over and over again and I had to keep reminding myself that she's still a kid. . Like girl, please get off the ground and have some shred of dignity. But again, she's a kid.
Her mother kept pissing me off too. There was a particular moment in the book where her mom, on multiple occasions, would say things (this is not a direct quote, but the sentiment remains the same), like "what am I supposed to do with her?", as if she's just a random child that she has no relation to her whatsoever. Or when the mother had to pick her up from school and called her friend and and said "I need to get out of her. I can't be here right now" (something along those lines) instead of talking to Kendra and asking her why she was doing what she was doing. I wanted to smack her right then and there. Woman, you're too grown to be acting like this. Talk to your damn child. It was too frustrating.
It's upsetting because when Kendra heard things like that being said about her and her mom not showing out for her, that was when she would spiral. Could you really blame the mother for being so un-interested in parenting a grown kid? Is it really her fault since she had her so young? I don't know, but I felt at some point, especially for Kendra's mother being so highly educated, you've got to grow up and take responsibility. She had all those years of living her life and getting all her degrees, now it was time for a reality check. Some people are not meant to be parents, fair enough, but reading Kendra's inner thoughts and feelings was disheartening.
The book kind of dragged on here and there. It's a quick read, but at times it's a little repetitive where nothing much happens, hence the lower score. The characters are all interesting enough, and the book doesn't have a happy-ish ending; more-so it just hints to the reader that things are looking up for Kendra. Her mother doesn't magically become Supermom and Kendra and Adonna aren't close, but there is a small win in which Kendra begins to heal.
This was a re-read from when I was in high school. Now, more than ten years later I wanted to see if I still felt the same way about it compared to when I was fifteen-ish because I remember really liking it. I remember really enjoying this but I have a few new thoughts. There might be some spoilers within.
Kendra is a young Black girl living in the projects. She's really smart and has an over-bearing grandma who is obsessed with making sure Kendra stays a virgin (trauma from her mother getting pregnant at her age). Her mother doesn't want her, she can't live with her broke daddy and his daughter/her aunty, and her grandma is getting too old to parent her. As a result, Kendra becomes sexually active with a boy just to feel wanted.
Kendra STAYED making the stupidest decisions over and over again and I had to keep reminding myself that she's still a kid. . Like girl, please get off the ground and have some shred of dignity. But again, she's a kid.
Her mother kept pissing me off too. There was a particular moment in the book where her mom, on multiple occasions, would say things (this is not a direct quote, but the sentiment remains the same), like "what am I supposed to do with her?", as if she's just a random child that she has no relation to her whatsoever. Or when the mother had to pick her up from school and called her friend and and said "I need to get out of her. I can't be here right now" (something along those lines) instead of talking to Kendra and asking her why she was doing what she was doing. I wanted to smack her right then and there. Woman, you're too grown to be acting like this. Talk to your damn child. It was too frustrating.
It's upsetting because when Kendra heard things like that being said about her and her mom not showing out for her, that was when she would spiral. Could you really blame the mother for being so un-interested in parenting a grown kid? Is it really her fault since she had her so young? I don't know, but I felt at some point, especially for Kendra's mother being so highly educated, you've got to grow up and take responsibility. She had all those years of living her life and getting all her degrees, now it was time for a reality check. Some people are not meant to be parents, fair enough, but reading Kendra's inner thoughts and feelings was disheartening.
The book kind of dragged on here and there. It's a quick read, but at times it's a little repetitive where nothing much happens, hence the lower score. The characters are all interesting enough, and the book doesn't have a happy-ish ending; more-so it just hints to the reader that things are looking up for Kendra. Her mother doesn't magically become Supermom and Kendra and Adonna aren't close, but there is a small win in which Kendra begins to heal.
May 29, 2019
This book is fiction and its genre is novel. “I mean, what do I have now? Nothing. Nothing and no one. I don’t even have Renee…..All I know is, I’m scared. What if both of them told me the same thing? That they don't want me? What do I do then? Because, the truth is, I don’t think I can handle hearing that.” Starting from age 14 and up because it has a sexual context. The vocabulary is easy. A girl in her 14’s, her name is Kendra. She lives her life mostly with her Nana. Her mom, Renee, had Kendra when she was 14. Renee still went to school but left Kendra with her Nana. Her Nana is a strict lady she doesn't want Kendra going out of the house like other girls almost all naked. She doesn’t like her hanging out with a lot of boys, always wants her to be home on time. So really Kendras Nena has always been taking care of her and doesn't want her to her pregnant at age 14. Rene is a woman that is trying to find a job to be able to pay her own bills and live in a place with her daughter. When she was in high school she was an “A” student and everyone would always giver her comments. But Kendra isn’t an “A” student. This book just talks about her (Kendra) life is her life with the people around her. There are some good parts from this book and other times I do get distracted and I lose concentration on what I was reading.
February 21, 2025
Kendra is a 14-year-old who is incredibly beautiful inside and out... and she has no idea. Poor girl has had a rather tough life up to now. Her mom was a very young single mom, who has been mostly absent through her childhood. She's living with her grandmother, who is very strict with her. She has some interaction with her father, but it's almost more of a peer relationship. And now, she's having to figure out navigation of high school relationships, including those with boys, with little guidance.
This book was so well written. I would say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book... but it's got some really tough situations in it. My heart went out to Kendra over and over. Most heartbreaking was what I mentioned at the start: she's such a great friend and daughter/granddaughter, and she doesn't know it. And yet, the writing was masterful and the plot was perfectly paced and the situations read so very realistically. I plan to add another Coe Booth book to my want-to-read list.
This book was so well written. I would say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book... but it's got some really tough situations in it. My heart went out to Kendra over and over. Most heartbreaking was what I mentioned at the start: she's such a great friend and daughter/granddaughter, and she doesn't know it. And yet, the writing was masterful and the plot was perfectly paced and the situations read so very realistically. I plan to add another Coe Booth book to my want-to-read list.
October 13, 2017
The book Kendra was a good book to read, not many interesting events, and it wasn't a challenging book to read either. To me this book just went back and forth with the main problem. The conflict of the book is drama. I would recommend this book to people who like drama. In the book the main character, Kendra tries to get the attention of her mom, her mom had Kendra at fourteen so Kendra's grandma would take care of her while her mom would go to college. Once her mom graduated Kendra thought she would start living with her and they will spend more time, but that's not how it went, Kendra's mom would be going to interviews far away, but towards the end Kendra will get her mom's attention because Kendra had a problem or got into problem but she started acting differently once she was actually getting her moms attention.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2018
I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. Kendra was born when her mom was just 14, and has since been living with her grandmother. When her mom starts to make very short appearances in her life again, it isn’t what Kendra needs and she starts acting out sexually.
One problem I had with this book was that it felt super dated. Her grandmother tells Kendra repeatedly that she will have Kendra checked (to see if she is a virgin) and believing this, Kendra engages in anal sex instead. To me, this felt dated that it would even be suggested that she should be “checked.” And I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Kendra’s every decision.
I’m not sure who this book was aimed for as I feel like it’s a little old for young teenagers.
One problem I had with this book was that it felt super dated. Her grandmother tells Kendra repeatedly that she will have Kendra checked (to see if she is a virgin) and believing this, Kendra engages in anal sex instead. To me, this felt dated that it would even be suggested that she should be “checked.” And I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Kendra’s every decision.
I’m not sure who this book was aimed for as I feel like it’s a little old for young teenagers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2018
There is no more interesting dynamic than that of a grandparent raising a grandchild while that child's parent is still able to come in and out of the picture. Kendra has all the baggage involved when you love the one who raised you but long for the biological parent to step up. Coe's careful portrayal of Kendra's relationships will hit many of the reader's emotional buttons.
December 16, 2018
This book I could relate to. It was both intense and exciting. I want the next book I read to be somewhat like this one. It was as I was expecting it to be, very realistic and intriguing. I sympathized with the characters all throughout until I finished the book.
Read
May 30, 20235/30/23 Can’t rate this because I’m not sure what to give it
I didn’t like the main character or practically anyone in the book but it’s not a bad book honestly. I would still recommend it but just know all the characters are unlikeable
I didn’t like the main character or practically anyone in the book but it’s not a bad book honestly. I would still recommend it but just know all the characters are unlikeable
September 17, 2018
This book is crazy and very well detailed !!
Read
December 6, 2019Fiction B7252k 2008
September 21, 2020
Great book
Want to read
October 10, 2023Recommended by John Green
August 18, 2025
an amazing book. coe booth i love you
June 14, 2014
Coe Booth’s purpose in writing Kendra was to create an interesting storyline where readers can understand what it’s like to have a complicated life while experiencing relationships with guys for the first time. The circumstances under which people live are all diverse and Booth’s purpose was to write something in a different light: from a girl who grew up in the projects of New York without a mother being able to guide and love her along the way. This book impacts the audience as it really makes you feel for the main character. You feel sorry that she has a young mother who is never around and a grandmother that is always strict because she doesn’t want Kendra to “do what Renee’ did, go and get pregnant at fourteen” (Booth 33). Kendra’s grandmother, Valerie, thinks of Kendra as her second chance of parenting the right way, but the way she goes about it is harsh; yet, this has a lasting value on the audience as you connect to this character and sympathize with her situations.
Kendra was extremely captivating. I hated each time I had to put this book down because it was very intriguing. The events in this story will continuously have you thinking “No, don’t do that!” or “Aw, poor girl.” You would want to jump into the book and tell her what she should do and give her all the love in the world. As a teenager, life gets hard, making it easy to relate to the main character as she faces confusion throughout the entire story, just like we all do, whether it’s contemplating on why her mother doesn’t want her or even how to act with a guy that brings so much drama to a family. It’s best to read books that are similar to your life situations in order to be fully connected. This book possesses the necessary elements to create a funny, serious, and thought-provoking novel.
The greatest strength of Kendra would be Coe Booths ability to write simple and take on the story as if she were a little girl from the projects. Although there weren’t any big words being used, you still learn lessons in the book. As an African American girl in the projects, living without a mother and father raising you, you look for affection in different ways. You do things to impress people to feel accepted. Instead of being the center of attention, you learn that some guys find there to be a different kind of beauty within females as one character expressed this by saying, “Adonna is like a fantasy girl, you know, one of those girls that guys have to look at. But you, you got that nice, quiet kind of pretty” (Booth 95). You can be beautiful without making it noticeable for everyone to see: that’s the biggest lesson a person could receive. At times, people can find attention seekers to have too much self-interest and want to fight them for being “stuck up” as it’s exemplified in the story when a girl got jumped for her appearance and only a few understood “She’s probably only dressing that way because she thinks it’s gonna help her get attention or make friends” (Booth 51). Another big lesson given is that kids can’t raise kids. You have a life of your own and things will get too tough to handle.
The greatest weakness in this book is how it ends. You want to know more about each character’s situation, yet the author doesn’t tell too much, making you want to read another book. Aside from this, I didn’t find the book to be completely well written. There were very few grammatical errors and not an extensional use of vocabulary for a high school student. This can take away from the professionalism. However, this book doesn’t need mass vocabulary to appeal to an audience. The information is very easy to read.
I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. It’s one of those high school drama books that people could find to be very amusing. As a person who hates reading a boring book, I wouldn’t tell anyone to read it if it was bad. Kendra is very interesting and grasps your attention. Whenever you have spare time, Kendra is a book you should pick up and start reading. Anyone who has problems at home or trouble seeking love should read this book and get some insightful guidance in how to take control over situations and think before you act.
Kendra was extremely captivating. I hated each time I had to put this book down because it was very intriguing. The events in this story will continuously have you thinking “No, don’t do that!” or “Aw, poor girl.” You would want to jump into the book and tell her what she should do and give her all the love in the world. As a teenager, life gets hard, making it easy to relate to the main character as she faces confusion throughout the entire story, just like we all do, whether it’s contemplating on why her mother doesn’t want her or even how to act with a guy that brings so much drama to a family. It’s best to read books that are similar to your life situations in order to be fully connected. This book possesses the necessary elements to create a funny, serious, and thought-provoking novel.
The greatest strength of Kendra would be Coe Booths ability to write simple and take on the story as if she were a little girl from the projects. Although there weren’t any big words being used, you still learn lessons in the book. As an African American girl in the projects, living without a mother and father raising you, you look for affection in different ways. You do things to impress people to feel accepted. Instead of being the center of attention, you learn that some guys find there to be a different kind of beauty within females as one character expressed this by saying, “Adonna is like a fantasy girl, you know, one of those girls that guys have to look at. But you, you got that nice, quiet kind of pretty” (Booth 95). You can be beautiful without making it noticeable for everyone to see: that’s the biggest lesson a person could receive. At times, people can find attention seekers to have too much self-interest and want to fight them for being “stuck up” as it’s exemplified in the story when a girl got jumped for her appearance and only a few understood “She’s probably only dressing that way because she thinks it’s gonna help her get attention or make friends” (Booth 51). Another big lesson given is that kids can’t raise kids. You have a life of your own and things will get too tough to handle.
The greatest weakness in this book is how it ends. You want to know more about each character’s situation, yet the author doesn’t tell too much, making you want to read another book. Aside from this, I didn’t find the book to be completely well written. There were very few grammatical errors and not an extensional use of vocabulary for a high school student. This can take away from the professionalism. However, this book doesn’t need mass vocabulary to appeal to an audience. The information is very easy to read.
I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. It’s one of those high school drama books that people could find to be very amusing. As a person who hates reading a boring book, I wouldn’t tell anyone to read it if it was bad. Kendra is very interesting and grasps your attention. Whenever you have spare time, Kendra is a book you should pick up and start reading. Anyone who has problems at home or trouble seeking love should read this book and get some insightful guidance in how to take control over situations and think before you act.
October 30, 2012
Coe Booths Purpose of writing Kendra is to let his readers know what it feels like to have nobody, but by having nobody you eventually have somebody. Kendra is packed with morals and things to learn from. It gives you the experience of what it feels like always having to have somebody’s approval and not having the one person you love the most want you. Just because somebody shows you a little attention doesn’t mean they want you for all the right reasons. Kendra learned that the hard way.
Kendra is a perfect example of a well written book, Depending on the audience it’s trying to target; Kendra is a teenage targeting book. It gives a life lesson for not only teens but also teaches parents a lesson as well that would have a lasting value. The protagonist of the story is Kendra, you would think her antagonist was her mother but it’s the struggle of wanting someone to want her. I quote “Why don’t you want me? I’m talking about now. Why? I been waiting for you my whole life and you stayed away for as long as you could. ” Kendra has always had emptiness inside her, something she’s been missing. She’s at an age where she needs her mother to raise her.
The story plot was easy to understand. The theme of the story was serious but it did have some funny parts. For example, Adonna (Kendra’s aunt and best friend) has the best stories. She always has something crazy to say about some person or some crazy scandal they tried to pull. There was one story Adonna told Kendra about this girl. Adonna said “You should have been there last year, because she was going out with these two guys.” This girl got busted when both boys ran into each other, but this story did get serious. Adonna and Kendra had a dispute over a boy which turned the whole story. ”You keep having fun with Nashawn, just as long as you don’t thing you’re the only one he’s having fun with.” This was the climax of the story; Adonna and Kendra were now rivals.
I think I took fancy to this book so much because it connects to me, I have a similar story. Kendra and I have a similar story. I’m from New York and she lives there. We both grew up on government assistance. Her mother had her at a young age and didn’t have time to fit her in her future. I too had a parent I feel like doesn’t want me. My mother had me in her early forties. My father already had a lot of children before me. He wasn’t quite married but he was with my half-brother and sisters mother. My father didn’t raise me at all. He was never there threw my childhood. He always gave me false hope and dreams of going to Disney World and being this reunited family. That was the only thing keeping me from breaking. A dream that would never happened. All this time growing up I felt like he didn't want me. I've always just waited and waited for him to finally tell me he was coming to see me but he never did and still hasn't.
This book has more strengths then weaknesses. This book is formatted for the average teen to understand. Not a difficult read at all. In my opinion, the only weakness is there wasn't enough detail talking about Kendra’s mother, father and some of the relations. I felt like Coe Booth should have had a chapter or two ion the book explain how Kendra’s parents, Kenny and Renee got where they are. If the readers think anything like me they would be a bit confused on Adonna and Kendra’s relationship as well. From the beginning up until the near end of the book Kendra’s grandma would always call Adonna ”that girl”, but really Adonna was Kenny’s sister which mad Kendra her niece. Overall I’d say Kendra was a decent book. I would recommend this book to a friend because they could learn a lot from it, especially living in the society we live in today.
Kendra is a perfect example of a well written book, Depending on the audience it’s trying to target; Kendra is a teenage targeting book. It gives a life lesson for not only teens but also teaches parents a lesson as well that would have a lasting value. The protagonist of the story is Kendra, you would think her antagonist was her mother but it’s the struggle of wanting someone to want her. I quote “Why don’t you want me? I’m talking about now. Why? I been waiting for you my whole life and you stayed away for as long as you could. ” Kendra has always had emptiness inside her, something she’s been missing. She’s at an age where she needs her mother to raise her.
The story plot was easy to understand. The theme of the story was serious but it did have some funny parts. For example, Adonna (Kendra’s aunt and best friend) has the best stories. She always has something crazy to say about some person or some crazy scandal they tried to pull. There was one story Adonna told Kendra about this girl. Adonna said “You should have been there last year, because she was going out with these two guys.” This girl got busted when both boys ran into each other, but this story did get serious. Adonna and Kendra had a dispute over a boy which turned the whole story. ”You keep having fun with Nashawn, just as long as you don’t thing you’re the only one he’s having fun with.” This was the climax of the story; Adonna and Kendra were now rivals.
I think I took fancy to this book so much because it connects to me, I have a similar story. Kendra and I have a similar story. I’m from New York and she lives there. We both grew up on government assistance. Her mother had her at a young age and didn’t have time to fit her in her future. I too had a parent I feel like doesn’t want me. My mother had me in her early forties. My father already had a lot of children before me. He wasn’t quite married but he was with my half-brother and sisters mother. My father didn’t raise me at all. He was never there threw my childhood. He always gave me false hope and dreams of going to Disney World and being this reunited family. That was the only thing keeping me from breaking. A dream that would never happened. All this time growing up I felt like he didn't want me. I've always just waited and waited for him to finally tell me he was coming to see me but he never did and still hasn't.
This book has more strengths then weaknesses. This book is formatted for the average teen to understand. Not a difficult read at all. In my opinion, the only weakness is there wasn't enough detail talking about Kendra’s mother, father and some of the relations. I felt like Coe Booth should have had a chapter or two ion the book explain how Kendra’s parents, Kenny and Renee got where they are. If the readers think anything like me they would be a bit confused on Adonna and Kendra’s relationship as well. From the beginning up until the near end of the book Kendra’s grandma would always call Adonna ”that girl”, but really Adonna was Kenny’s sister which mad Kendra her niece. Overall I’d say Kendra was a decent book. I would recommend this book to a friend because they could learn a lot from it, especially living in the society we live in today.
March 23, 2015
Kendra is tired of her Nana’s constrictive rules about the way she dresses and whether she can talk to boys. Her Nana is tired of having to take care of Kendra and hopes to avoid what she couldn’t with her daughter Renee, who is Kendra’s mom. Renee is twenty-eight; Kendra is fourteen—just the age that Renee was when she became Kendra’s mom.
But Renee really isn’t much of a mom to Kendra. She’s left that role for her own mother so that she could pursue her education and her dream—to get out of the Bronxwood projects. And she succeeds mightily, graduating with a Ph.D. from Princeton. Sadly it is at Renee’s graduation ceremony and celebration that Kendra realizes just how little Renee wants to be her mom. Everyone is asking Kendra if she hopes to be just like her ‘big sister’ and end up at Princeton. Big Sister? Isn’t she supposed to move in with Renee and finally escape the hawkeyed Nana?
Kendra, though justifiably feeling abandoned, also defends Renee against the snarky comments of her best friend (and aunt, although she is only a year older then Kendra), Adonna. Adonna is a material girl, and she has her eye on a cute baseball player, Nashawn. But then, he is Kendra’s secret crush as well. Kendra assumes that Nashawn will only like the better-dressed, sexier Adonna and is surprised when Nashawn comes onto her, hot and heavy. But he’s made plans with Adonna, too. Kendra feels that she’s being used. She is so desperate for love and affirmation that she forgets her own worth. How can she get that? The novel reminds us many times that it isn’t coming from Renee.
High school housekeeping: There are many reasons that Kendra will be an engaging read for teens—Kendra’s sense of abandonment, her involvement in a romantic triangle and her need to break out and be herself as well as to be loved with fewer conditions. I’m thinking about whether it’s fair to criticize a book because it turned out not to be the book I wanted it to be. I felt for Kendra as she was played by Nashawn and wanted the novel to show how she comes away from that, perhaps sadder, but certainly wiser. But this is not that book. Despite all its engaging qualities and realistically-portrayed teens and adults, it leans toward formula romance in its resolution. SPOILER ALERT: I was genuinely surprised at how Kendra immediately (like, within seconds of being followed by Nashawn into dark but public places) agrees to both oral and anal sex to thwart her Nana’s threat of having her virginity checked by a doctor. These scenes are not gratuitous, and I could easily see them happening, just not without more development. And I so wanted Kendra to learn what all people must—others use you for their own purposes, but you’ll try not to see that—you’ll do really dumb things to stay around them because you are out of your mind with the infatuation and lust. And when they tire of using you, you’ll have to pick up the pieces.
But Renee really isn’t much of a mom to Kendra. She’s left that role for her own mother so that she could pursue her education and her dream—to get out of the Bronxwood projects. And she succeeds mightily, graduating with a Ph.D. from Princeton. Sadly it is at Renee’s graduation ceremony and celebration that Kendra realizes just how little Renee wants to be her mom. Everyone is asking Kendra if she hopes to be just like her ‘big sister’ and end up at Princeton. Big Sister? Isn’t she supposed to move in with Renee and finally escape the hawkeyed Nana?
Kendra, though justifiably feeling abandoned, also defends Renee against the snarky comments of her best friend (and aunt, although she is only a year older then Kendra), Adonna. Adonna is a material girl, and she has her eye on a cute baseball player, Nashawn. But then, he is Kendra’s secret crush as well. Kendra assumes that Nashawn will only like the better-dressed, sexier Adonna and is surprised when Nashawn comes onto her, hot and heavy. But he’s made plans with Adonna, too. Kendra feels that she’s being used. She is so desperate for love and affirmation that she forgets her own worth. How can she get that? The novel reminds us many times that it isn’t coming from Renee.
High school housekeeping: There are many reasons that Kendra will be an engaging read for teens—Kendra’s sense of abandonment, her involvement in a romantic triangle and her need to break out and be herself as well as to be loved with fewer conditions. I’m thinking about whether it’s fair to criticize a book because it turned out not to be the book I wanted it to be. I felt for Kendra as she was played by Nashawn and wanted the novel to show how she comes away from that, perhaps sadder, but certainly wiser. But this is not that book. Despite all its engaging qualities and realistically-portrayed teens and adults, it leans toward formula romance in its resolution. SPOILER ALERT: I was genuinely surprised at how Kendra immediately (like, within seconds of being followed by Nashawn into dark but public places) agrees to both oral and anal sex to thwart her Nana’s threat of having her virginity checked by a doctor. These scenes are not gratuitous, and I could easily see them happening, just not without more development. And I so wanted Kendra to learn what all people must—others use you for their own purposes, but you’ll try not to see that—you’ll do really dumb things to stay around them because you are out of your mind with the infatuation and lust. And when they tire of using you, you’ll have to pick up the pieces.
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