A Girl Named Mister

January 1, 2011
Fifteen-year-old Mary Rudine, nicknamed Mister, "used to be / a good Christian girl..." In a series of one- to two-page prose poems, Mister describes her fall from grace. Mister's voice is poignant and utterly genuine, but what really elevates the novel above other good-girl-gets-pregnant fare is the character of Mary, mother of Jesus, whose all-too-familiar experiences as a pregnant teenager comfort Mister.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2010

Gr 8 Up-Mary Rudine, nicknamed Mister, enjoys going to church for the friends and the music, but her commitment to purity and her "good-girl" status are not enough to keep her from sleeping with her boyfriend. It only happens once-after that, Trey moves on and Mister is left with a guilty conscience. She turns to her church for support and forgiveness, which are freely given even when it becomes apparent that she is pregnant ("You'd think I grew a few extra mothers," she quips). Still feeling estranged from God, Mister turns to a fictionalized account of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and finds that the story resonates with her on many levels. As Mister's pregnancy progresses, she struggles with questions of what she should do, and whether giving her baby up for adoption would be the best choice. As she holds her newborn son, she marvels at the miracle of new life and chooses to trust God for what is best for her and her child, even if that means giving him up for adoption. The lyrical free-verse format of the novel communicates the deep emotions surrounding the parallel stories of Mister and Mary, two teenagers who have to deal with explaining their unplanned pregnancies to their families and friends. Though the story is most likely to appeal to Christian teens, all readers will be able to sympathize with the girl's conflicting emotions about her baby, her boyfriend, and her mother as she struggles to balance pregnancy with a normal teenage life.-Misti Tidman, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2010
Fifteen-year-old Mary Rudine, nicknamed Mister, "used to be / a good Christian girl, / the kind who would never, well..." In a series of one- to two-page prose poems, Mister describes her fall from grace -- from the time "I couldn't help but notice / how the purity band / on my ring finger / seemed loose lately. / Like any day now, / it might / just / slip / off" to the moment when, having just given birth to her son, "the social worker waits / for my decision. / I take my time, / stare into love's eyes, / and count each finger, each toe." To Grimes's credit, Mister's voice is poignant and utterly genuine, but what really elevates the verse novel above other good-girl-gets-pregnant fare is a surprise character: Mary, the mother of Jesus. Interspersed throughout Mister's story are prose poems narrated by this second pregnant teenager. "I cried myself to sleep. / Joseph tried to comfort me, / but how could he understand / my desperate longing / for the old me, / the one whose belly / was flat enough / to nestle comfortably / on her side." Mary's all-too-familiar experiences comfort Mister, drawing the modern-day teen "a little closer / to God." tanya d. auger

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 15, 2010
Grades 8-12 Fourteen-year-old Mary Rudine, nicknamed M. R. and then just Mister, wears a promise ring, a symbol of her commitment to God and decision to wait for true love before she has sex. But in one brief moment, gorgeous, smooth-talking Trey, with his gentle, seductive hands, weakens her resolve, and she gets pregnant. In terrified denial, she picks up a book about the Virgin Mary, which details a similar struggle with her fate and her faith. In alternating, free-verse narratives, Grimes parallels the stories of both Marystheir joy and terror as they carry a child, the support they accept from those who love them, and above all, their struggle to trust in Gods will for their lives. With each carefully chosen word, each well-crafted image, the familiar teen pregnancy story is made unique by its faith-based undertones, dual perspectives, and lyrical language.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

August 15, 2010
Mary Rudine, known to everyone as Mister, is a typical high-school student, engaged in studies, sports and church. Everything changes when she gives into sexual pressure from a new boy in her life. When she resists continuing a physical relationship, Trey breaks up with her, and Mister works to get back to an emotional even keel. One source of solace is a book of poems in the voice of the Virgin Mary. As she returns to normal, she is rocked with the realization that she is pregnant. "I know girls who have sex every day / and walk away. / Me, I break God's law once, / and look what it gets me." This novel in poetry looks clearly at both teen pregnancy and struggles with faith. Mister is exceptionally well characterized, as are her relationships with her mother and others in her life. The language is intimate and immediate. Mary's story, which alternates with Mister's as Ishmael's did with a contemporary teen's in Dark Sons (2005), feels distant by comparison. While this can be categorized as Christian fiction, it is much more textured than novels commonly labeled as such. (Fiction/poetry. 12 & up)

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