Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat

Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment
Arushi Avachat
Wednesday Books
Published January 9, 2024

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About Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment

A sparkling debut rom-com about a high school senior whose life suddenly gets a Bollywood spin when her sister gets engaged.

Shaadi preparations are in full swing, which means lehenga shopping, taste testing, dance rehearsals, and best of all, Arya’s sister Alina is home. The Khannas are together again, finally, and Arya wants to enjoy it. So she stifles her lingering resentment towards Alina, plays mediator during her sister’s fights with their mother, and welcomes her future brother-in-law with open arms. (Okay, maybe enjoy isn’t exactly right.)

Meanwhile at school, Arya’s senior year dreams are unraveling. In between class and her part-time gig as a bookshop assistant, Arya struggles to navigate the aftermath of a bad breakup between her two best friends and a tense student council partnership with her rival, the frustratingly attractive Dean Merriweather.

Arya is determined to keep the peace at home and at school, but this shaadi season teaches Arya new realities: Alina won’t always be in the bedroom down the hall, Mamma’s sadness isn’t mendable, friendships must evolve, and life doesn’t always work out like her beloved Bollywood movies. But sometimes, the person you least expect will give you a glimpse of your dream sequence just when you need it most.

Structured like a Bollywood film (entertaining intermission included!) Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment will make you swoon, laugh, cry, think, nod your head in agreement, and quite possibly make you get up and dance.

My Review

I needed this book so much. It’s got so much energy and this smart, vibrant voice. I love Arya. She’s fun and thoughtful. Her mom seems to be experiencing some depression, and Arya isn’t sure how to deal with it or even really how to identify it. She thinks her older sister coming home and being nicer to her mom will make her mom’s sadness go away. Her older sister has a different perspective, so when they finally talk about it directly, some sparks fly. Sisters, ha.

Seriously, though, I liked Arya’s relationship with her sister, Alina. It was nuanced and complex—close but with tangles and secrets. I loved the scenes between them as much as any other scene in the book.

I also had a great time reading the scenes with Arya and Dean, her rival and possible new crush. The banter between those two! Whew. So much fun.

All in all, reading this book is such a fabulous time. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good rom-com, especially one with great dialog.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Representation
Arya’s family is Indian American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
References to Hindi services and traditions for holidays and weddings.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of ARYA KHANNA’S BOLLYWOOD MOMENT in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: A Constellation of Minor Bears by Jen Ferguson

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

A Constellation of Minor Bears
Jen Ferguson
Heartdrum
Published September 24, 2024

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About A Constellation of Minor Bears

Award-winning author Jen Ferguson has written a powerful story about teens grappling with balancing resentment with enduring friendship—and how to move forward with a life that’s not what they’d imagined.

Before that awful Saturday, Molly used to be inseparable from her brother, Hank, and his best friend, Tray. The indoor climbing accident that left Hank with a traumatic brain injury filled Molly with anger.

While she knows the accident wasn’t Tray’s fault, she will never forgive him for being there and failing to stop the damage. But she can’t forgive herself for not being there either.

Determined to go on the trio’s post-graduation hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, even without Hank, Molly packs her bag. But when her parents put Tray in charge of looking out for her, she is stuck backpacking with the person who incites her easy anger.

Despite all her planning, the trail she’ll walk has a few more twists and turns ahead. . . .

Discover the evocative storytelling and emotion from the author of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, which was the winner of the Governor General’s Award, a Stonewall Award honor book, and a Morris Award finalist, as well as Those Pink Mountain Nights, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year!

My Review

I’ve heard so many great things about Jen Ferguson’s books that I’m only sorry it took me so long to read one. This book tackles some complex issues through characters who struggle to communicate their thoughts and feelings in ways that aren’t hurtful or difficult. (So relatable! Especially thinking of myself as a teenager.)

I really appreciated the author’s content note at the opening of the book, which offers some context for and information about the difficult topics (fat abuse, fatphobia, ableism, and racism) that the story includes. Those things often stay on the fringes of the novel but could still be really difficult for some readers. The author also includes a note at the end of the book in which she shares more about how our culture responds to fatness, disability, and our relationship to the traditional unceded lands of Indigenous people. There’s great stuff to be read in those notes.

The novel also contains some great stuff. At its core, it’s about the relationship between Molly, her brother Hank, and their best friend Tray. The relationships have become more strained since Hank’s climbing accident, and it’s unclear whether they can reconcile.

The narrative mostly shifts back and forth between Molly and Tray’s perspectives. Occasionally, Hank’s AITA posts appear between chapters, describing his thoughts and feelings and commenters’ responses. The book is divided into parts labeled according to the parts of a song. Tray is a songwriter, so some of his conflicts are resolved with and through music. Molly is a science girl, so she thinks about the science of injuries and healing. She thinks about stars and facts.

Ultimately, A Constellation of Minor Bears is a book about dealing with the unexpected. It’s about how relationships change, and how we need each other, but not always in the ways others want us to need them. It’s about figuring out how to listen to one another without judgment.

Plot-wise, the story starts off a little bit slow. Molly and Tray are so uncomfortable together. Once Brynn joins the group, the pace and energy really pick up, and I wanted to read from there all the way through to the end.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
Tray and Molly are Métis. Molly’s brother Hank is white and disabled after a climbing fall. Molly is bisexual. Hank is gay. Other minor characters are queer. Molly and another character are plus-sized.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A fair number of f-bombs and other profanity. The crew have a joke that when someone says something ridiculous, they’ll call it out as bear sh**. Someone responds by clarifying that they mean no offense to any bears. It adds some lightness to difficult conversations and situations.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
References to Métis spiritual practices, rituals, and stories.

Violent Content
Contains some ableist comments. Contains instances of abuse and fatphobia (most happen off-scene). References to anti-Indigenous comments and actions.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol. References to side characters smoking weed. One character is hospitalized after drinking far too much.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: What is This Feeling? by Robby Webber

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What is This Feeling?
Robby Webber
Inkyard Press
Published September 17, 2024

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About What is This Feeling?

This joyful romp from Robby Weber, perfect for fans of Jason June and Morgan Matson, follows a boy who will do anything to win his drama club’s scavenger hunt in New York City, even if it means teaming up with a tech crew loner…and discovering unexpected sparks between them.

Theater star Teddy McGuire is ready for all his dreams to come true. He and his best friend, Annie, have been counting down the days to the end-of-the-year drama club trip to New York City. To make it even more magical, if they can win the annual scavenger hunt, they’ll get a chance to meet their popstar idol, Benji Keaton.

But the universe has other plans: when Annie can’t go on the trip, Teddy is forced to room with tech crew loner Sebastian, who has no interest in the scavenger hunt—or Teddy—and seems to have a secret agenda of his own.

On a larger-than-life adventure across the city, the boys will discover a lot more than what’s on their checklist, including masquerade mishaps, obstacles of Jurassic proportions, Hollywood starlets, and, most surprisingly of all, sparks beginning to fly between them. In a story about chasing your destiny, Teddy and Sebastian are about to learn the secret to making their own luck.

My Review

This is the most fun book I’ve read in a while. It’s not the first field trip to New York City that I’ve read this year. There’s a Wednesday books title about a band trip that had some similarities to this one.

Teddy is a really fun narrator. He’s so in his head, which I appreciate as a person with a lot of mind spirals myself. I also liked that his identity wasn’t really a focus of the story. Don’t get me wrong– the books about coming out or grappling with identity are important, and I love them, too. But it was nice to read something that sidestepped those themes and simply told a story about unexpected romance without stopping to explain or justify itself.

The only thing that was hard was how often Teddy’s best friend and brother minimized his feelings. They tended to assume he was being dramatic and kind of roll their eyes at him in a loving way, but still. It makes sense within the context of the story, and it’s realistic. I guess it hit on some old wounds for me, so I really felt for him in those moments.

What is This Feeling? is the first book by Robby Webber that I’ve read, but I can tell you that it will NOT be the last! I can’t believe I’m just now discovering his books. I love the balance of sweetness and realism in this one. The relationships aren’t perfect. The characters are flawed but not so deeply that it interferes with my ability to connect with them. It’s a great fall romance.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Two characters are queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A couple F-bombs. Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys.

Spiritual Content
Teddy believes the friendship bracelets he and Annie made together years ago bring them luck, but only when they’re wearing them or have them on their person.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Teddy (a high school senior) drinks champagne at a gala and sips a cocktail at an event with college students.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Jesse Andrews
Amulet Books
Published March 1, 2012

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About Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

The New York Times bestselling novel that inspired the hit film!

This is the funniest book you’ll ever read about death.

It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he’s figured it out. The answer to the basic existential How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad? His strategy: remain at the periphery at all times. Keep an insanely low profile. Make mediocre films with the one person who is even sort of his friend, Earl.

This plan works for exactly eight hours. Then Greg’s mom forces him to become friends with a girl who has cancer. This brings about the destruction of Greg’s entire life.

Fiercely funny, honest, heart-breaking—this is an unforgettable novel from a bright talent, now also a film that critics are calling “a touchstone for its generation” and “an instant classic.”

My Review

The opening chapters of the book were a little hard for me to read. The main character’s harsh judgments of other students, which lean heavily on stereotypes, are kind of off-putting.

As he tells the story, his unspoken grief is palpable, which drew me into the book. It helped me see some of the hurtful comments as a defense or distraction from the hurt this kid was feeling.

At some level, it’s clear to me reading the book that the author uses at least some of those statements on purpose to help readers understand the immaturity and inexperience of the main character. He’s not a great guy; even he will tell you this. (Especially if you try to say something nice about him.) He didn’t even begin either of his friendships for benevolent reasons.

But he cares how people feel and wants desperately to connect with them. He’s the epitome of an awkward teenage boy. Reading this book instantly transported me back to some of the experiences I had with boys in high school.

The story doesn’t romanticize cancer. It doesn’t even romanticize being a teenager. It scrapes away any tendency toward glorifying a teenager’s experience and looks at a simple, reluctant friendship between awkward kids who aren’t amazing at anything.

In fact, the book doesn’t even center the story of the girl with cancer. She’s not even named in the title. While I wish that the story made more space for Rachel’s experience, the narrative does wrestle with that loss. Greg realizes at one point that he barely knows anything about Rachel and that so much of his time has been spent thinking about himself and his own feelings rather than centering hers.

The story does fall prey to using a girl’s death as a vehicle through which the main character learns. It’s true. I wonder how the story would have been different if the author reversed the roles of Earl and Rachel so that Greg and Rachel made movies together and then befriended Earl after a cancer diagnosis. We’ll never know, as that’s a completely different story.

Misogyny in Young Adult Literature

One of the things I find really hard to read is literature in which boys objectify and dehumanize girls. I grew up in a purity culture world that normalized that kind of behavior, effectively considering girls temptresses and objects of lust. So, reading about boys talking that way can get under my skin really fast.

I don’t want us to treat it as an acceptable part of the teen experience. Girls don’t deserve that.

One of the powerful moments in the story comes from a moment in which Earl, Greg’s best friend, confronts him about the way he treats Rachel and the other people around him. He tells Greg to stop obsessing over people who don’t care about him and start thinking about the people who do. It’s a hard-hitting scene that, in at least some way, addresses Greg’s behavior and challenges him to be a better person. I really appreciated that scene and love that this push forward came from another guy his age.

One of the Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2023

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was one of the top ten most challenged books of 2023. Among the reasons I saw cited for the challenges and book bans were that it contains profanity and some misogynistic commentary. Some have described it as “pornographic,” which is, frankly, hilarious since there is no nudity or sexual contact throughout the book. There is, admittedly, one very cringy scene in which the characters make jokes about oral sex. I can’t see how that meets the definition of pornography.

There is a lot of profanity in the book. It’s true. There’s a lot of profanity in a lot of young adult literature in general. While I have some personal feelings about this, I don’t think that a few parents get to decide what everyone else’s kids should be allowed to read. I think the author makes a great point in an article for Deadline that kids who haven’t found books that resonate with them may find that a book in which the characters talk the way they talk might help them connect to literature.

Conclusion

If you made it this far, you can tell I’ve got a lot of thoughts and feelings about this book. I liked it more than I expected, despite its flaws. It presents a powerful story of friendship and how human connection, no matter how mundane, makes a difference in our lives.

It’s weird that this book is among the top ten most challenged books of 2023. I can’t imagine that anyone who regularly reads young adult literature would consider the content of this book vastly different from that of many other books on the shelves for teenagers.

Content Notes for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Greg and Rachel are Jewish. Earl is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Lots of profanity. Some crude language.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sex. Some explicit statements about sex. No sexual contact on scene.

Spiritual Content
Greg references attending Hebrew School with Rachel.

Violent Content
Greg and Earl repeatedly watch a violent movie, but the book doesn’t describe it in any detail. Greg makes some objectifying/misogynistic comments about girls. They’re usually brief. Greg makes some comments using racist stereotypes about other kids at his school. He and another boy make a racist comment about the contents of ethnic food.

Drug Content
Earl smokes cigarettes and is rumored to have used hard drugs before the story began. Greg and Earl accidentally get high when they eat some food they don’t realize has marijuana in it.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: Out of Our League Edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Out of Our League
Edited by Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli
Feiwel & Friends
Published January 23, 2024

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About Out of Our League

A compelling YA anthology from editors Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli about the trials and triumphs of girls in sports.

Ambition. Drive. Determination. Talent. Courage. Teamwork.

Every athlete knows what it takes to win. But for teen female players, the stakes are so much higher. In this anthology, the voices of these athletes come alive, highlighting the ferocity of those who are often shunted to the side. From navigating rampant misogyny to forging a sisterhood through sweat or just reveling in the love of the game, the stories in Out of Our League address the phenomenal physical and emotional power of teenage athletes as they compete, persevere, and thrive, on and off the field.

My Review

The last time I reviewed an anthology, I took a new approach, in which I grouped the stories by topic and wrote a couple sentences evaluating each one. I’m going to do that again here so you can see who’s in the anthology and which stories I found to be its highlights.

One thing that this anthology does that was fun to notice is that each story contains connections to other stories within the collection. Like, a character from one story might be mentioned in another one. One story shows the filming of a documentary, and characters in another story reference watching that film. It creates an overall sense of these things happening in a world together, which I thought was really clever.

Overall, I found the stories to be kind of hit or miss with me. Some of them were so good I wished they were full novels. Others didn’t resonate so much. Here is a quick impression for each story in the collection.

The Power of a Support System

Safe at Home by Jennifer Iacopelli – Sisters competing against one another in a championship softball game. I love sister stories, and this is a great angle to mine the complexities of those relationships. This one packs a lot of thought into a few pages. Definitely enjoyed.

Power Ten in Two by Leah Henderson – This is another story where I wish there had been more time to get to know the characters and really watch the conflicts and changes play out. I love the idea of it. It’s about a very competitive girl whose drive isolates her from her teammates and an unusual object lesson her coach puts her through to teach her the value of operating as a team.

All for One by Yamile Saied Méndez – This story follows a girl experiencing disordered eating. She wrestles with a lot of guilt and shame and shows up for her cheerleading team, trying desperately to keep everything together. The story shows a lot of depth and compassion while acknowledging the danger and harmfulness of those behaviors and the importance of a support system.

Relationships in Sports

#GOALS by Amparo Ortiz – I like that this one highlights that all kinds of girls play sports, and you don’t have to be the best for your interest to matter. I appreciate the focus it brings to the pain of a breakup and the value in being your true self, even when that doesn’t fit into the box someone creates for you.

Sidelined by Maggie Hall – This one might be my favorite. I think it also uses flashbacks most successfully. I love the way it captures the evolution of the relationship between Oliver and Lexie and sets up the turning point of the story. We also see a girl who, despite her status as a rising basketball star, deeply loves football.

Bunker Buddies by Sarah Farizan – I think this story set itself a tall hill to climb. The story begins in a tense moment and immediately flashes back to the setup that led the character to that situation. The flashback explained the character’s feelings but wasn’t particularly endearing. The relationship between the main character and her opponent in the golf match is the most compelling thing about the story. The end of their match contains a sweet moment that careful readers will find referenced later in another story.

Save the Lead by Cam Montgomery – I know nothing about sport climbing, so it was fun to read this one even simply to learn a little more about it. I loved the relationship between Pilar and Pavel. I also loved the way that it impacted each of them without dominating their connection to their sport.

Issues in Sports

Two Girls Walk Into a Wrestling Match by Noomi Kanakia – Some stories in the collection highlight the power of friendship and camaraderie between girls in sports. This one explores the discomfort and harm that withholding acceptance does to fellow players. A transgender girl waits for her match to be called at a wrestling meet, and not everyone welcomes her.

No Love Lost by Kayla Whaley – I really like the concept of this one. It’s written like the transcript of a documentary, so it has an unusual look on the page, and the emphasis on what people say brings the characters into sharp focus. The story covers a lot of ground in a few pages, and I wonder if that dilutes the power of its message. At the core of the piece, two girls have an unresolved conflict over something that happened a year ago. They revisit the conflict in an argument and explore the ramifications of the decisions that the star tennis athlete made at that time. It’s an interesting conversation that raises some good points about disability representation in sports. It felt like an odd use of the documentary-style storytelling format, though.

Three Minutes by Aminah Mae Safi – I didn’t connect with this story as much as I hoped to. While I think it brings focus to an interesting part of boxing competition, I felt like I kept waiting for the actual story to begin. I wanted to know why she fired her coach, but we never really explore that or what she changed about her training or diet. It was interesting to think about the parts of boxing that happen outside the ring, though.

Fall in Love with Sports

Better in the Long Run by Sarah Henning – A girl in love with cross country shares her enthusiasm with a boy who got roped into the team as a punishment. I liked the back-and-forth between the two characters. The story shows a lot of growth for them.

Woman Land by Monica Kenneally – I love that this collection includes a story about girls in powerlifting. It’s a fun one, too, that shows a girl taking a risk on something she feels intimidated by and finding a new source of joy and personal pride.

Bunker Buddies by Sarah Farizan – I think this story set itself a tall hill to climb. The story begins in a tense moment and immediately flashes back to offer readers the setup that led the character to that situation. The flashback explained the character’s feelings, but wasn’t particularly endearing. The relationship between the main character and her opponent in the golf match is the most compelling thing about the story. Instead of further embarrassing or poking fun at her, the younger girl is kind and offers help. In exchange, the main character offers her friendship, something that matters a lot to the younger girl. The end of their match contains a sweet moment that careful readers will find referenced later in a another story.

Sports Camp

Kylie with an I by Carrie S. Allen – This one was excellent. A girl who has only ever had boys as hockey teammates attends an elite camp for girls in preparation for a huge championship. She has to reckon with internalized ideas about women in the sport and her expectations of herself and other players. She quickly realizes she’s got some work to do. This is another story that packs a lot into a few pages and does it so well.

One on One by Juliana Goodman – I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I love that it explores the complexity of romance within a basketball team. On the other hand, I wish it had addressed the cheating aspect more fully. I know sometimes in real life, people get away with things, so it’s not unrealistic. It was nice to see a win for love, though.

Valley Girl by Dahlia Adler – I love the way this celebrates summer camp and how playing a sport together, even if it’s not something we’re good at, brings people together. Definitely a feel-good story that had me smiling.

Anchor Points by Marieke Nijkamp – The collection ended on a really strong note with this story. It’s about two people who’ve grown up loving archery and attending an archery camp. We get to see the impact that the sport has had on their lives and the value of the friendship they’ve formed, even if it took years to come to fruition.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Stories include a diverse cast of characters in terms of race, identity, sexual orientation, and disability. One character has disordered eating.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some stories contain swearing and the f-bomb.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a girl and nonbinary person.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One story shows an athlete who gets an injury. Another shows an athlete who engages in bingeing/purging.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

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Panic
Lauren Oliver
HarperCollins
Published March 4, 2014

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Panic

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My Review

This is still my favorite book by Lauren Oliver. Her writing always strikes me, her stories and characters are always compelling, but there’s something about this particular one that just really sticks with me. I’m not sure if it’s the small town setting, the high, high stakes, the flawed, underdog characters, or the complicated romance.

The small town setting makes for an intimate backdrop. Everyone kind of knows everyone. It feels like there’s nowhere to hide. It feels like ALL THE RAGE or SADIE by Courtney Summers.

The game brings high stakes right away. I found myself getting sidetracked trying to figure out how these struggling kids could afford the $180 entry fee to play the game, but ultimately, that’s a small detail I found I could let go.

The ending doesn’t neatly wrap up all the character’s stories. In fact, a couple are left in awkward situations but seem to be fine. I loved so much of the rest of the story that this didn’t really bug me much either. As the game went on, I felt like I couldn’t look away and needed to know that the characters would find a way through.

Over all, I think fans of suspenseful stories set in small towns like those by Courtney Summers will really like this one. It’s more like Oliver’s VANISHING GIRLS than DELIRIUM.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme word choice, moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
A few crude references to sex, but no scenes depicting anything beyond kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Several times kids get beat up in connection with the game Panic.

Drug Content
References to smoking weed. Teens drink beer at a party. One teen girl sips whiskey before completing her Panic test. A girl walks in on her mother and other adults after they’ve been using cocaine.

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