Brianna on the Brink

February 11, 2013
For Brianna’s 16th birthday, her mother gives her emancipation papers, effectively kicking her out of the house (“Look. I’ve done the mom thing, Brianna,” her mother tells her). Six months later, Brianna is living with her older sister and focused on cheerleading and the popularity that comes with being the best friend of school it-girl, Jules. When Brianna has a one-night stand with a man who turns out to be her English teacher’s husband—and who dies of a heart attack on the spot—Brianna’s life takes yet another wild turn. Jules drops Brianna, her sister kicks her out, and the one to save her is, of all people, her widowed English teacher, Jane, who invites Brianna to move in. Also, Brianna is pregnant. While the premise stretches credibility, debut author McInnes tempers the melodrama by giving Brianna an empathetic and sometimes humorous narrative voice. Jane’s selflessness and Jules’s cruelty can be over-the-top, but Brianna’s growth and the choice she faces as she weighs her baby’s future are engaging. Ages 15–up. Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

February 15, 2013
A captivating opening and fresh, honest dialogue elevate this tale of teen angst run amok, making for a promising debut. The novel opens: "Here's a list of what not to do when you're sixteen (and a half) and the guy you just went all the way with keels over from a heart attack on the floor of your sister's house." Who could resist? McInnes does a superb job following the labyrinthine inner logic of a self-involved teen. Brianna Taylor is a cheerleader from the dirt-poor side of the tracks. She attributes her rise in status to her role as head sycophant to her school's lead sociopath and top cheerleader, Jules Hill. The novel shines when Brianna offers access into the snarky, vicious world of teen put-downs. However, the luster wears off around midbook, when Brianna's untethered lifestyle leads to disaster, yet she fails to learn the error of her bullying, selfish ways. While McInnes paces the plot like a mystery, the outcomes ultimately offer little intrigue. Brianna's predicament feels like a surprise only to Brianna. Though still a little weak on plotting, McInnes keenly captures the nuances of teen dialogue and the duplicity of high school alliances, making her an author to watch. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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May 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Despite coming from a dysfunctional family and not having much money for the type of clothes her friends wear, Brianna is a popular cheerleader. A night out clubbing with her best friend-and a fake ID-ends with a one-night stand with a man who dies of a heart attack. Adding to this tragedy, Brianna soon finds out that she is pregnant and that the man was her English teacher's husband. Her sister, with whom she is living, kicks her out of the house, and Brianna finds herself on the streets. In a strange turn of events, Jane, her English teacher, offers her a home in return for assistance with an aging father and helps Brianna decide what to do about the baby. While the story line itself is rather predictable, it does have some interesting twists and turns-and it isn't preachy or didactic. In this debut novel, McInnes has managed to make Brianna a realistic 16-year-old without resorting to stereotypes. Jane, although almost a caricature of an English teacher, is a sympathetic character who, despite dealing with her own grief and negative feelings toward Brianna, follows her conscience and does what she feels she needs to do. The crux of the book is the concept of family and what it really means. All in all, this is a fairly well written book with a good deal of teen appeal.-Janet Hilbun, Texas Women's University, Denton, TX

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Despite Brianna's unstable upbringing, she manages to gain popularity and a position on the cheerleading squad. But at sixteen, a one night stand leaves Brianna homeless, friendless, and pregnant. Brianna's downward spiral reverses (implausibly) sooner than expected, but readers will cheer her on as she builds a support system in unlikely places and exhibits a surprising confidence during her pregnancy.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)