M + O 4EVR by Tonya Cherie Hegamin

• ISBN: 978-0618495702
• Plot summary: Opal and Marianne have grown up together in a small Pennsylvania town. Their parents are mostly absent or too busy to watch the young girls, so they are under the care of Opal's grandmother most of the time. The girls invent magical stories about each other as they roam the forest behind their houses, taking refuge in each other's while avoiding the racial tensions within their town. Years later, Opal still yearns for the closeness the girls have shared, but Marianne has other plans. Seeking a spot on the cheerleading squad and hanging out with the popular kids takes her away from Opal, who spends her time devising ways to take Marianne out of their town on her scholarship to some big university. Before they can get there, something terrible happens to Marianne, and Opal spends her days trying to figure out how she'll spend the rest of her days without Marianne.
• Critical evaluation: While this story is about the intertwined lives of the two characters, it is mostly about how Opal deals with her feelings for Marianne. It also chronicles the story of the ghost of Hannah, who was a slave who hid from slave catchers in the ravine where Marianne plunged to her death. Opal and Hannah's story are quite the same in that they lost the ones they loved. Opals love for Marianne is not only a desire to preserve a childhood friendship--she has romantic feelings for Marianne and wants nothing more than to give Marianne the life she deserves. When Marianne dies, Opal isn't sure what to do next. Her entire future was planned around Marianne and how she would provide for her. The element of hope in this novel is that Opal does get into some schools on scholarship, so the life she had planned for she and Marianne will still serve her well later in life. It is a bittersweet story, one in which the author does an excellent job of showing how a family can band together when confronted with tragedy.
• Reader's annotation: Opal has always looked forward to her life with Marianne, but now she's not sure what to do.
• About the author: Tonya Cherie Hegamin has a background in poetry, social work, catering, and now writing books for young people.
• Genre: Fiction
• Curriculum ties, if any: History (discussions of slavery)
• Booktalking ideas:
• Do you have a friend like Marianne that you can't imagine living without? What would you do if you had to?
• Reading level/interest age: 14+
• Challenge issues: Substance abuse, sexuality
• Why was this item included? This is an recommended item on the teen LGBTQQ list at Berkeley Public Library.