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Please Don't
*2021 Indies Today Book Awards Semi-Finalist*
Sixteen-year-old Nat Reams was on his way to a basketball scholarship when he walked into chemistry lab after school and found his teacher assaulting a female student. So he decked the teacher. Now he’s facing expulsion.
Awaiting the school board hearing that will decide the fate of his senior year, Nat spends his summer cutting grass with Molly Martinez—the girl from chem lab. Nat has an idea why Molly—a shy, straight-a student—refuses to speak up about what happened at school, and so he’s given up on trying to change her mind. But when he sees firsthand the hostile environment in which Molly’s family lives, he invites them to move into his spacious, yet highly dysfunctional house.
Sixteen-year-old Nat Reams was on his way to a basketball scholarship when he walked into chemistry lab after school and found his teacher assaulting a female student. So he decked the teacher. Now he’s facing expulsion.
Awaiting the school board hearing that will decide the fate of his senior year, Nat spends his summer cutting grass with Molly Martinez—the girl from chem lab. Nat has an idea why Molly—a shy, straight-a student—refuses to speak up about what happened at school, and so he’s given up on trying to change her mind. But when he sees firsthand the hostile environment in which Molly’s family lives, he invites them to move into his spacious, yet highly dysfunctional house.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 11, 2021
Doing the right thing isn't always easy, especially if it means to go against an authority figure to stand up for a girl. The fact that that girl happens to be a -- very cute -- black, undocumented immigrant makes doing the right thing a bumpy ride. Nat Reams is a courageous teen who must face the harsh consequences of acting with integrity in a world that's far from black and white when it comes to civil rights for all. A brave book and solid story with characters who make you feel all the feels. Excellent read.
November 3, 2021
I really liked this. It was well written and was a lot more thought provoking than I expected. This book really needs to be discussed so I hope some of my bookish friends read this too!
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: sexual assault, mental health
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
TW: sexual assault, mental health
March 8, 2025
Reminds me some of the male version of the awesome A Blue So Dark by Holly Schneider. Here, we are so immersed in the life of a 17 y/o boy whose mom is a total wastoid: A blotto failed screenplay. I love whenever we get shown how awful normally lauded titles can be and here we have three rolled into one: a mom/writer/nurse who relies on her teenage son like a baby, making him all but quit school to provide for her as she rots in bed and neglects to pay taxes on the should-be nice house her ex left.
Not only does the boy have to deal with that, but farm labor with violent rednecks, getting expelled for assaulting the teacher who sexually assaulted his female friend, his deadbeat dad who pretends he doesn’t exist while the mommy blogger new wife parades him around online as the perfect family man.
The prose is subtly pretty like a yard dotted with daisies. Not too dense nor sparse. We’re always getting new layers that make this experience really feel lived in. A lot is covered without it feeling overwhelming or totally unnatural at first. Molly is the co-worker student he punched the perv teacher over, always telling him “please don’t” get involved in her hard life, something he really relates to even if he doesn’t realize it, never asking for help or venting.
It does stretch the limits of believability that he’d take in Molly’s fam on a whim and his mom gets too much better too quick. From there, his family should have had more up and downs. To make matters worse, Molly’s fam is undocumented and that’s allegedly why everyone preys on her. There’s the childish “no person is illegal” argument when it comes to citizenship akin to the “but all crimes should be called terrorism cause they cause terror,” though the portrait is commonplace: Mom is a motel cleaner who barely speaks English while the kids are embarrassed and want to be Americanized/excel.
It felt like a fourth or so of the book could have been slimmed after a third in. Or just by not saying “I never realized an undocumented person would have to go through ___ versus an average citizen” every page. It’s implied, we get it. It’s on the nose and annoying. Or how Molly is so defensive in the same way all the time with “oh you think I should like [Mexican thing] instead.” She seems too idealized by the MC: good at literally everything from dancing and basketball to school and law, practically all-knowing though to me she comes off pretty bitchy.
I went in thinking most of this book would be about Molly being sexually harassed by the teacher but it’s really the off screen inciting incident. The teacher goes to kiss her and immediately gets punched and Molly never wants to talk about it or the gangster type she owes money to. Not as eliciting as even that sounds, though at least it takes her down a few “perfect” pegs. Both kids come to a good common ground revealing about their fathers and how alike they are but if it came a bit sooner, I’d like them both better. They’d seem a little less repetitive in their stubbornness in self-pitying.
Too much time is wasted about how people look in the courtroom or the random school shooting speech, yet the last stepmom blog isn’t given enough analyzation in how it makes him feel. There’s also too little about other people’s rumors or what happens with the bad teacher. Like I expected something to be revealed in the hearing yet it seemed pretty unneeded to have a scene when we just got a yes or no basically. I was hoping the ending would be either darker or more romantic at least in wording but it was rather mundane.
Not only does the boy have to deal with that, but farm labor with violent rednecks, getting expelled for assaulting the teacher who sexually assaulted his female friend, his deadbeat dad who pretends he doesn’t exist while the mommy blogger new wife parades him around online as the perfect family man.
The prose is subtly pretty like a yard dotted with daisies. Not too dense nor sparse. We’re always getting new layers that make this experience really feel lived in. A lot is covered without it feeling overwhelming or totally unnatural at first. Molly is the co-worker student he punched the perv teacher over, always telling him “please don’t” get involved in her hard life, something he really relates to even if he doesn’t realize it, never asking for help or venting.
It does stretch the limits of believability that he’d take in Molly’s fam on a whim and his mom gets too much better too quick. From there, his family should have had more up and downs. To make matters worse, Molly’s fam is undocumented and that’s allegedly why everyone preys on her. There’s the childish “no person is illegal” argument when it comes to citizenship akin to the “but all crimes should be called terrorism cause they cause terror,” though the portrait is commonplace: Mom is a motel cleaner who barely speaks English while the kids are embarrassed and want to be Americanized/excel.
It felt like a fourth or so of the book could have been slimmed after a third in. Or just by not saying “I never realized an undocumented person would have to go through ___ versus an average citizen” every page. It’s implied, we get it. It’s on the nose and annoying. Or how Molly is so defensive in the same way all the time with “oh you think I should like [Mexican thing] instead.” She seems too idealized by the MC: good at literally everything from dancing and basketball to school and law, practically all-knowing though to me she comes off pretty bitchy.
I went in thinking most of this book would be about Molly being sexually harassed by the teacher but it’s really the off screen inciting incident. The teacher goes to kiss her and immediately gets punched and Molly never wants to talk about it or the gangster type she owes money to. Not as eliciting as even that sounds, though at least it takes her down a few “perfect” pegs. Both kids come to a good common ground revealing about their fathers and how alike they are but if it came a bit sooner, I’d like them both better. They’d seem a little less repetitive in their stubbornness in self-pitying.
Too much time is wasted about how people look in the courtroom or the random school shooting speech, yet the last stepmom blog isn’t given enough analyzation in how it makes him feel. There’s also too little about other people’s rumors or what happens with the bad teacher. Like I expected something to be revealed in the hearing yet it seemed pretty unneeded to have a scene when we just got a yes or no basically. I was hoping the ending would be either darker or more romantic at least in wording but it was rather mundane.
October 23, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. This honest review was based off my experience reading an ARC, which in no way biased me.
I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.
The book starts with you learning that Nat was facing being expelled for standing up for what was right, a teacher attempting to assault a female student and then hitting him. The female student asks him to not say anything, so he doesn't. And now his whole life is on the line. You watch both characters develop and work through their own traumas and hard times together.
My favorite quote which spoke a lot to me about this story was "To them, my whole life is wrong. Don't you get that?"
This book was good and I really like how it touched on some really important and sometimes hard to address problems in today's world. And how some people take a while to understand other's issues. Also living in Virginia for a while I was pleased to have it set in Virginia. I also liked Molly's character. She was very likeable. I also liked Nat, not as much as Molly's character, but he was very likeable. You could see them learning from one another and growing together as well and that was very nice to watch. That being said, I did have some issues. I feel like the ending was a little rushed. The first half of the book was slow in developing the story. Which I felt like could have been done with maybe starting the book during the incident and then do a fast-forward after that. It did take me a while to read because the start was so slow I didn't want to keep reading. That being said, I still enjoyed the book! The ending was well worth the wait. I also love the "a while later" at the end!
I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.
The book starts with you learning that Nat was facing being expelled for standing up for what was right, a teacher attempting to assault a female student and then hitting him. The female student asks him to not say anything, so he doesn't. And now his whole life is on the line. You watch both characters develop and work through their own traumas and hard times together.
My favorite quote which spoke a lot to me about this story was "To them, my whole life is wrong. Don't you get that?"
This book was good and I really like how it touched on some really important and sometimes hard to address problems in today's world. And how some people take a while to understand other's issues. Also living in Virginia for a while I was pleased to have it set in Virginia. I also liked Molly's character. She was very likeable. I also liked Nat, not as much as Molly's character, but he was very likeable. You could see them learning from one another and growing together as well and that was very nice to watch. That being said, I did have some issues. I feel like the ending was a little rushed. The first half of the book was slow in developing the story. Which I felt like could have been done with maybe starting the book during the incident and then do a fast-forward after that. It did take me a while to read because the start was so slow I didn't want to keep reading. That being said, I still enjoyed the book! The ending was well worth the wait. I also love the "a while later" at the end!
November 15, 2021
Nat Reams is facing expulsion from school, ruining his basketball prospects and plans for the future. He could lessen the blow by telling the truth about what happened but two words stop him: Please don't.
An amazing story about doing the right thing, I loved this tale of Nat trying to makes things better for Molly, an undocumented student, and her family. Through him, the reader gets a glimpse into the life of undocumented workers. Easily thrown away by companies, broken families, and stuck in a grey zone where crimes committed against them will go unreported for fear of deportation. It doesn't feel preachy as it tells its story, with little vignettes showing how Molly lives in this country, while Nat learns to release the past, and move towards the future.
*Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book*
An amazing story about doing the right thing, I loved this tale of Nat trying to makes things better for Molly, an undocumented student, and her family. Through him, the reader gets a glimpse into the life of undocumented workers. Easily thrown away by companies, broken families, and stuck in a grey zone where crimes committed against them will go unreported for fear of deportation. It doesn't feel preachy as it tells its story, with little vignettes showing how Molly lives in this country, while Nat learns to release the past, and move towards the future.
*Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book*
November 14, 2021
𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓
S. A. Fanning
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠💙💙💙💙💙/5
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 16th November 2021
𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞:
It’s almost a whisper, like college is a dream, a birthday wish not to be uttered out loud. I start to say something, to remind her she makes straight A’s and college shouldn’t be in question. But sometimes Molly just needs to talk without me talking over her. Besides, our roads are so different, even when we’re on the same path, like right now.
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
Our MC's work at VIRGIL’S LAWN CARE and are both hard workers, we have Nathaniel Reams from the Basketball dream team and he's a really good player but when Molly Martinez says "Please don't" He risks his entire basketball life not telling the truth! Molly Martinez feels indebted and she's an independent girl but when things go beyond her control she has no way other than to let Nat help but she really truly doesn't want to let him!
Nat's facing a lot of issues at home what with his mom being drunk and or sleeping 24/7 or the bills piling up or the letter from the school to Mrs Reams. But amidst all these things he's facing he decides to be kind, taking care of people and doing his best at his job. Molly is a hard worker, she speaks less and always keeps her head down as not to draw unwanted attention but when something happens at school amidst all this, she's gotta keep her head down and not do anything to draw further attention. When Nat helps her she cannot even defend his actions fearing for her family's safety!
This book literally tore my heart to pieces I couldn't put the book down once I started. The book was dealing with really difficult topics and showed hope and had a "Light at the end of the tunnel" approach so you can imagine how amazing this book is! Also there's family drama which is on the deeper side and how Nat handles it all with Molly by his side. And how Molly who's facing her own demons becomes his rock.
Overall the book is a guaranteed experience like no other, with an easy to understand writing style, discussion of deep topics is spot on, characters are solidly built and the plotline is built to be gripping the readers attention from the very start!!
So what are you waiting for go grab your copy NOW!!
S. A. Fanning
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠💙💙💙💙💙/5
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 16th November 2021
𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞:
It’s almost a whisper, like college is a dream, a birthday wish not to be uttered out loud. I start to say something, to remind her she makes straight A’s and college shouldn’t be in question. But sometimes Molly just needs to talk without me talking over her. Besides, our roads are so different, even when we’re on the same path, like right now.
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
Our MC's work at VIRGIL’S LAWN CARE and are both hard workers, we have Nathaniel Reams from the Basketball dream team and he's a really good player but when Molly Martinez says "Please don't" He risks his entire basketball life not telling the truth! Molly Martinez feels indebted and she's an independent girl but when things go beyond her control she has no way other than to let Nat help but she really truly doesn't want to let him!
Nat's facing a lot of issues at home what with his mom being drunk and or sleeping 24/7 or the bills piling up or the letter from the school to Mrs Reams. But amidst all these things he's facing he decides to be kind, taking care of people and doing his best at his job. Molly is a hard worker, she speaks less and always keeps her head down as not to draw unwanted attention but when something happens at school amidst all this, she's gotta keep her head down and not do anything to draw further attention. When Nat helps her she cannot even defend his actions fearing for her family's safety!
This book literally tore my heart to pieces I couldn't put the book down once I started. The book was dealing with really difficult topics and showed hope and had a "Light at the end of the tunnel" approach so you can imagine how amazing this book is! Also there's family drama which is on the deeper side and how Nat handles it all with Molly by his side. And how Molly who's facing her own demons becomes his rock.
Overall the book is a guaranteed experience like no other, with an easy to understand writing style, discussion of deep topics is spot on, characters are solidly built and the plotline is built to be gripping the readers attention from the very start!!
So what are you waiting for go grab your copy NOW!!
February 8, 2022
Not gonna lie, at first I thought the author was a woman... Yeah, I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about it.
But when I reached the end and saw it was a man, some descriptions in the book (especially aaaaall those talking about Molly's physical appearance and clothing) finally made sense lol
The main story itself was gripping from the very beginning, introducing us to these interesting and diverse characters.
Nat Reams is expelled from school after physically assaulting a teacher, and the only ones that know why he did that are Molly Martínez and himself. And she asks him not to tell anyone about it, so he doesn't.
As Molly slowly opens up to Nat and they get to know each other, Nat finally understands why Molly can't speak up and why she's always been so shy and quiet.
Nat, realizing how much weight Molly carries on her shoulders, decides to help her family out, only to realize that Molly's family will also greatly help him, bringing up a spark of light and energy to his own home.
Their friendship faces many ups and downs as they learn about each other. Both of them try to navigate and fix their own personal problems while also being a support to one another, showing us the true meaning of friendship and loyalty.
This book touches so many important, and sometimes ignored, problems in today's world, especially when it comes to the lives of immigrants.
Molly and Nat are very likeable characters, and it was nice to see their growth. It did bother me that it seemed as if their friendship was turning into romance by the end of it all though. But maybe that's just me, I'm not a fan of those tropes.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read and I really recommend it. But beware, it does start suuuuper slow.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
But when I reached the end and saw it was a man, some descriptions in the book (especially aaaaall those talking about Molly's physical appearance and clothing) finally made sense lol
The main story itself was gripping from the very beginning, introducing us to these interesting and diverse characters.
Nat Reams is expelled from school after physically assaulting a teacher, and the only ones that know why he did that are Molly Martínez and himself. And she asks him not to tell anyone about it, so he doesn't.
As Molly slowly opens up to Nat and they get to know each other, Nat finally understands why Molly can't speak up and why she's always been so shy and quiet.
Nat, realizing how much weight Molly carries on her shoulders, decides to help her family out, only to realize that Molly's family will also greatly help him, bringing up a spark of light and energy to his own home.
Their friendship faces many ups and downs as they learn about each other. Both of them try to navigate and fix their own personal problems while also being a support to one another, showing us the true meaning of friendship and loyalty.
This book touches so many important, and sometimes ignored, problems in today's world, especially when it comes to the lives of immigrants.
Molly and Nat are very likeable characters, and it was nice to see their growth. It did bother me that it seemed as if their friendship was turning into romance by the end of it all though. But maybe that's just me, I'm not a fan of those tropes.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read and I really recommend it. But beware, it does start suuuuper slow.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2021
Nat’s life changes forever the day he walks in on one of his teachers forcing himself on fellow classmate, Molly. After punching the teacher in the face, Nat quickly finds himself expelled and his college basketball scholarship revoked. Why doesn’t he defend himself, and in so doing, get the teacher fired? Because Molly, an undocumented immigrant, asks Nat not to.
Thank you @netgalley for this eARC, which I was given in exchange for an honest review. I’m happy to say that this book had everything I want in a YA book—awesome, relatable characters, lots of action and dialogue, and a swoony romance. Nat is extremely crush worthy #justsayin 💕
It packed a punch by tackling serious issues including immigration, mental health, and sexual harassment, alongside a big dose of poverty. These characters remind us that ability is more widely spread than opportunity.
My one thing—the ending might have been a bit too easy, a bit too fast, and a bit too wrapped up. But hey, this is fiction and, damn it, we want hopeful, happy endings, so I can’t complain too much!
Thank you @netgalley for this eARC, which I was given in exchange for an honest review. I’m happy to say that this book had everything I want in a YA book—awesome, relatable characters, lots of action and dialogue, and a swoony romance. Nat is extremely crush worthy #justsayin 💕
It packed a punch by tackling serious issues including immigration, mental health, and sexual harassment, alongside a big dose of poverty. These characters remind us that ability is more widely spread than opportunity.
My one thing—the ending might have been a bit too easy, a bit too fast, and a bit too wrapped up. But hey, this is fiction and, damn it, we want hopeful, happy endings, so I can’t complain too much!
November 19, 2021
Fannng expands his reach with this new YA novel, PLEASE DON'T. To say Nat Reams's life is a mess is an understatement. The novel opens with Nat being expelled from high school after punching out a teacher who was assaulting a fellow student. Nat have no real place to turn. His mother lives in the bottle; he lives in a big house that's a pigsty; and Molly, the girl he befriended, has an undocumented mother, two young sisters born in the U.S., and a life in limbo.
Fanning explores the meaning of family, dysfunctional as both his and Molly's are, of friendship, and what it takes to become a man. Filthy as his house is, he moves Molly's family into it. He is surprised to find it clean and neat, a gift from Molly's mother.
Surprises continue as Nat begins to understand how his actions have both intended and unintended consequences.
A book highly recommended for YA and adult readers. It's a tour de force.
Fanning explores the meaning of family, dysfunctional as both his and Molly's are, of friendship, and what it takes to become a man. Filthy as his house is, he moves Molly's family into it. He is surprised to find it clean and neat, a gift from Molly's mother.
Surprises continue as Nat begins to understand how his actions have both intended and unintended consequences.
A book highly recommended for YA and adult readers. It's a tour de force.
December 8, 2021
“Please Don’t” by S.A. Fanning is a touching novel that is centered around two teenagers who are struggling in their own unique way, while living in very different life situations. When their struggles collide, they are forced to reckon with that no matter how different they are from one another, at heart they have the same desires.
In “Please Don’t” there may only be one bad person. S.A. Fanning focuses less on the bad and instead on the injustices we all face in our life, in the systems that bring us to where we are.
S.A. Fanning has written a truly poignant novel about the intricacies of right vs. wrong, of friendship and love, sticking up for what you believe in, and the need to find a place to call home.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc of the book in exchange for an honest review
In “Please Don’t” there may only be one bad person. S.A. Fanning focuses less on the bad and instead on the injustices we all face in our life, in the systems that bring us to where we are.
S.A. Fanning has written a truly poignant novel about the intricacies of right vs. wrong, of friendship and love, sticking up for what you believe in, and the need to find a place to call home.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc of the book in exchange for an honest review
October 19, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
Nat is being expelled from school. He's lost his chance at scholarships for basketball after hitting a teacher he found attacking a female student. She begs him not to tell, but he doesn't. But why?
I liked how this book touched on some tough subjects, but did so in a way that was not preachy or biased. The characters are developed well and likeable. I loved seeing how the relationship developed between Nat and Molly as they work through their traumas. They learned from one another and grew, which is what good characters do.
Nat is being expelled from school. He's lost his chance at scholarships for basketball after hitting a teacher he found attacking a female student. She begs him not to tell, but he doesn't. But why?
I liked how this book touched on some tough subjects, but did so in a way that was not preachy or biased. The characters are developed well and likeable. I loved seeing how the relationship developed between Nat and Molly as they work through their traumas. They learned from one another and grew, which is what good characters do.
July 6, 2022
Please Don't is an extremely well written and thought out book which deals with some tough subject matter in a sensitive but thought provoking way, It's one that makes you think about you would deal with a situation like that.
January 31, 2022
Pete, you’ve done it again! Best one yet!!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews