Guest review by: Becki Bayley
“Hey Jasmine,” I say, giving a big hug to one of my favorite seniors before I head up the bleachers to where I see Roan and Marisol have already claimed spots. With R-H letters in kelly green and rose red adorning her cheeks, and a pile of ribbons holding her high pony, Jasmine has exuded school spirit since her first day in kindergarten. When her teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she hopped to the center of the sharing circle, kicked her leg in the air, and roared, A CHEERLEADER! I never did tell her parents that their school tuition was paying for such five-year-old aspirations. Turns out, thirteen years later, Jasmine also wants to be the next RBG. “I saw your mom last week hobbling around the upper school on crutches. Is her ankle doing any better?”
“She’s way better, Ms. Clarke. I’m glad, too, ‘cause I’m sick of having to reach everything in the house. You know I’m not that tall.” Jasmine puts a hand on her hip and give me a pout for show. Not one member of her Filipino family stands above five-five, and Jasmine is no exception, maybe hitting five-two in her platform sneakers. “I think she’s keeping those crutches around to get me to do more chores.”
“Smart woman if you ask me. Enjoy the game, Jaz.” I nod to the one-woman pep squad.
Nina isn’t sure she wants to have it all, but the time has come to make some hard choices.
Official synopsis:
As Nina’s school year gets underway, all seems to be progressing as planned. Before long, wunder-hire Jared Jones, two hundred pounds of Harvard-educated ego, relentlessly pushes Nina to her ethical limits. Soon after, dutiful Xandra accuses one of her teachers of misconduct. And most alarming, the repercussions of her trip with Marisol force Nina into a life-altering choice. Time is of the essence, and Nina must decide if she will embrace a future she never could have predicted.
Nina Morgan Clarke’s teenaged daughter is gaining more independence and Nina finally has achieved her dream job. All the pieces of her perfect life are falling into place, so she and her best friend Marisol head away for a weekend to celebrate. She doesn’t expect to meet anyone, but sometimes when something is meant to be, it will happen regardless of expected plans.
The fun summer with her weekend fling, Leo, seems certain to end when he has to move for work, but then they suddenly have more reason than ever to stay together. While Marisol and the other important people in Nina’s life see changes coming, Nina is the one most reluctant to adjust her vision of a perfect future.
This story was an intense family drama that was hard to put down. Things could have gone so many different ways for all of the characters, and their growth both individually and in their relationships with each other was inspiring. The main plot and intricate subplots earned 4 out of 5 stars, with Nina’s dad, Fitzroy, and Marisol being favorite supporting characters.
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Becki Bayley is a wife and mom who enjoys feeling competent at work, making time to support her kids’ activities, and using a few stolen minutes to read whatever she wants. Check out some of her reading on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.
The Better Half, by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans
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