Overview

"Luna Begay is as studious and serious about her Indian heritage as her sister, Issy, is outgoing and fun. When Issy convinces Luna to go with her to a party full of rich kids, the night turns bad when Luna is drugged and raped. Feeling ashamed that she will be perceived as an ""Indian slut,"" Luna doesn't tell anyone and remains in denial until Issy figures out that Luna is pregnant. Knowing that her decisions will affect her parents and Issy as much as her own future, Luna has to work out how to deal with the consequences of that one night, and she has to do it fast. Distributed in the U.S by Lerner Publishing Group."

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9781459409835

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Reviews

Luna Begay is studious and has college plans, until she is drugged and raped at a party and ends up pregnant. Too far along for an abortion after confirming her pregnancy, she takes a Native American 'miscarriage tea' that her younger sister Issy helps her brew. It doesn't work. Shunned at school once her pregnancy is apparent, the teen is offered support and a secret from the school's queen bee. Luna decides to put her child up for adoption. The book reads quickly and lightly, glossing over most of the emotional impact and trauma of the rape and resulting pregnancy. Luna, her sister, and her parents are one-note characters. Her parents are disappointed that she didn't confide in them but remain supportive. The protagonist finds the perfect adoptive family with some indigenous blood in them, who took Native Studies courses in college. Powwows and relatives on the reservation are mentioned, along with a few Native terms sprinkled throughout, but there is no clear sense of place or tribal affiliation in this hi-lo work. Luna is called an Indian slut, but no context for the racial slur is provided, nor is violence against indigenous women addressed in a nuanced way. VERDICT A hi-lo title that reads like a Lifetime made-for-TV movie. An adequate choice for struggling readers.--School Library Journal -- Journal (10/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

Luna Begay is studious and has college plans, until she is drugged and raped at a party and ends up pregnant. Too far along for an abortion after confirming her pregnancy, she takes a Native American 'miscarriage tea' that her younger sister Issy helps her brew. It doesn't work. Shunned at school once her pregnancy is apparent, the teen is offered support and a secret from the school's queen bee. Luna decides to put her child up for adoption. The book reads quickly and lightly, glossing over most of the emotional impact and trauma of the rape and resulting pregnancy. Luna, her sister, and her parents are one-note characters. Her parents are disappointed that she didn't confide in them but remain supportive. The protagonist finds the perfect adoptive family with some indigenous blood in them, who took Native Studies courses in college. Powwows and relatives on the reservation are mentioned, along with a few Native terms sprinkled throughout, but there is no clear sense of place or tribal affiliation in this hi-lo work. Luna is called an Indian slut, but no context for the racial slur is provided, nor is violence against indigenous women addressed in a nuanced way. VERDICT A hi-lo title that reads like a Lifetime made-for-TV movie. An adequate choice for struggling readers.--School Library Journal -- Journal

Author Information

MELANIE FLORENCE is a full-time writer currently based in Toronto. She is the author of several books for children and teens, including Righting Canada's Wrongs: Residential Schools and Jordin Tootoo: The Highs and Lows in the Journey of the First Inuk to Play in the NHL, which was chosen as an Honor Book by the American Indian Library Association. As a freelance journalist, Melanie's byline has appeared in many magazines, including Dance International and Parents Canada. Melanie is of Plains Cree and Scottish descent.

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