ALMA PRESSES PLAY

1982 is a year of change for 13-year-old New Yorker Alma Rosen.

Her parents seem destined for divorce, and her friend group is changing. Her body and mind are changing too; she gets her period and her first kiss. Alma’s also starting to notice the inequitable treatment of women in her community and in literature. By leaning into her love of music and creating her own brand of resilience, she learns that while change is constant, she can decide how she responds to it. Unpunctuated poems in a stream-of-consciousness style make up the bulk of this verse novel. Some poems start with a word and its definition, some with song lyrics, and others take the form of lists or letters. Books, movies, music, and TV shows, as well as historical details of the time period and Greek mythology, are common touch points. It can be challenging to grasp all of these threads while also following the narrative arc. However, the poems that focus on a small moment or idea stand out for their captivating emotional complexity. Alma identifies as half Chinese and half White; her life is influenced by her Jewish paternal grandmother and her Chinese maternal grandparents. Although the backgrounds of Alma’s latchkey kid friend group are described with specific racial and cultural markers, socio-economic situations, and family dynamics, at times their voices lack distinction.

A coming-of-age story for readers who appreciate a strong sense of place.