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Reviewed by: Kathy Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: Going Bicoastal
Author: Dahlia Adler Publisher: Wednesday Books
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 9-12 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: There are some mild references to sexual activity.
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: The reviews were very good, it was a starred review from Booklist, and it was one of the titles discussed at our recent "best books" workshop.
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
Two coasts, two loves, two captivating stories.
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Review:
I was intrigued by the description of this book in the review journals. The main character is described as, "Natalya is Jewish, and subjects such as keeping kosher, being queer and Jewish, and observing Shabbat are thoughtfully woven in" (Kirkus) and another review states, "...fun and affirming story of a bisexual Jewish teen embraced and celebrated for both identities by her family and peers..." (SLJ). I was intrigued by the Jewish/queer(bisexual) main character, and as I am always looking to diversify my collection, I thought this would be a good find! And it was. It has an interesting narrative- it is told in two voices, in alternating timelines. Natalya has a choice to make the summer before her senior year in high school. Does she stay in NYC with her brilliant math professor father, and try to connect with the mysterious "red-headed" girl she is enamored with and whom she sees all around the city, or does she go to LA to take an internship at her marketing director Mom's firm. Her parents are divorces and Natalya has a good relationship with both, though she doesn't see her mother often. The trip to LA could be a good chance to reconnect. The book is told in alternation voices/chapters, one in which she stays in NY and the other in which she goes to LA. This took me a while to get used to! But, both stories are intriguing and involve a romance. In NYC she finally meets the red-headed girl- Elly, and in LA she meets Adam, her fellow intern at her mom's company. Both stories are intriguing, and the main characters are well developed, as are the sets of friends on both coasts...at times I had a hard time keeping them straight. I think my biggest issue in the book was the entitled lives most of the characters led in NYC. They ranged from comfortable to rich...which gives the reader unrealistic look at the "typical" life in NYC. Nothing typical about these lives at all. Adam and the NYC friends were drawn a bit more realistically.
The end is a "choose your own adventure" type. "Go to page XXX if you want Adam to be behind the door. Go to page XXX if you want Elly to be behind the door." That was unusual and satisfying!
I not sure if there would be a place for this in the curriculum- although the double narrative is unusual. I thought the theme of being true to yourself was well developed, as is the concept that all actions have consequences, and the decisions we make can impact how our lives play out.
Number of party hats:
Find resources for Going Bicoastal at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publisher's Website
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