The Resolutions

Gr 9 Up—On New Year's Eve of their junior year, four friends create resolutions for one another. Ryan, still heartbroken over his first boyfriend, is urged to kiss someone wrong for him and share his art with the world. Nora, who feels shackled to her mother's Puerto Rican restaurant, is told to choose her own adventure. Lee, still mourning the loss of her mother to Huntington's Disease, is encouraged to relearn her mother's native Spanish and decide whether she will be tested for the devastating disease. And Jess, a perfectionist, is pushed to loosen up by saying yes to everything. As the year progresses, the resolutions force the four to tackle new challenges, but their friendship sustains each of them. The multiple viewpoint narration allows each of the main characters to fully develop, and each narrative voice is distinct. The cast includes characters who identify across a diverse array of sexualities, ethnicities, and cultures. While moments of humor and romance lighten the mood, perhaps the most striking aspect of the story belongs to Jess: the unbearable pressure to succeed in every area of her life leads her to spiral into a debilitating panic. Garcia's portrayal of her desperation is riveting and heartrending.