Dandelion Travels

by Angel Barber

Overview

Eric Wallace is sick of secrets. As a Black queer teen, Eric's efforts to conform to fit his parents' and classmates' expectations have left him exhausted by the summer after senior year. When Eric finds out his pastor father has been cheating on his mother, his picture-perfect family crumbles. Eric rages at the double standards he's been held to. He travels to Los Angeles with his best friends to escape his home life and finally start to live on his own terms—and with his own style.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781978596122
Publisher:	Enslow Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	10/16/2022
Series:	YA Verse
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	544,991
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus — "A strong, emotionally complex choice for reluctant readers".

From the Publisher

02/01/2023

Gr 9 Up—In this novel in verse, high schooler Eric is carrying a lot. At home he feels like he has a "black cord/ wrapped around my throat." He skips school one day and catches his dad, a preacher, cheating on his mom. Gay, he has no patience for slurs and now has a reputation as an "angry black man." Eric has friends, Xavier and Andrea, but he exchanged a kiss at a party with Xavier, who is now dating Andrea, so it's awkward. When Andrea heads out to her rich uncle's beach house in California for the summer, Eric decides to defy his parents and go along. There, he has a "saltwater baptism" while swimming in the ocean and meets a cute boy at a party, leading to an intense, but doomed, fling. Through it all, he has a painful reckoning with Xavier and Andrea, goes home and receives the apology from his father that he's always wanted, and makes peace with his parents' divorce. The story, written at a second to third grade reading level, covers a lot, and much more is left between the lines. Romance is not described beyond light kissing. VERDICT An exploration of teen drama that will appeal to a wide range of high school readers.

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