Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Cardi (The Chance You Won't Return) adeptly tackles issues surrounding reproductive rights and statutory rape from a Christian teen's perspective in this message-driven #MeToo inspired interpretation of The Scarlet Letter. Though pregnant 16-year-old Tess Pine knows she wants an abortion, she wonders whether she will "be able to pray again, to feel like I'm connected to something that's bigger," the way she used to feel in her conservative churchgoing community. After someone circulates a photo of her leaving the reproductive health clinic, Tess faces judgment and harassment from parishioners, but a group of accepting band geeks inspire her to express her emotions through song--she even begins learning to play her late father's guitar. As the harassment escalates, however, Tess considers revealing her secret romantic relationship with adult church minister Alden, hoping the admittance will help people understand why she chose abortion. Through a fiercely pro-choice lens that verges on didactic, Cardi explores complex feelings about abortion, faith, and sex. Tess's thoughtfully wrought spirituality evolves alongside her emotional growth, culminating in a resolution that showcases the impact of community, and how their genuine support works to affirm, empower, and offer hope for sexual violence survivors. Tess and Alden read as white. Ages 14--up. Agent: Laura Crockett, Triada US. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--Tess's dad died a while ago, and now her mother lost her job, so they have no choice but to move back to Mom's childhood home in Hawthorne. Under her grandparents' roof, church is a must. Tess joins the Grace Presbyterian youth group and finds she really enjoys her new friends and singing in the choir. Upon discovering she is pregnant, the scared teen confides in her mom, who supports her choice to have an abortion. Despite traveling to an out-of-town clinic for more privacy, Tess begins receiving disparaging messages on her phone, and a red letter "A" is spray-painted onto her school locker. Her youth group friends shun her, and as soon as the town gossip gets back to her grandparents, she and her mother are no longer welcome there. Meanwhile, Tess has not shared the identity of the baby's father with anyone. This modern remix of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes on the misogyny, abuse, and hypocrisy that can take place in some strict religious circles. Although Tess endures being slut-shamed, vilified, and repeatedly maligned, she digs deep--determined to keep moving forward. Another musical venture brings new friends into her radius, while the convincing plot positions the abortion as only part of her story, rather than something that defines the rest of her life. Readers will feel gratified as Tess gradually finds ways to speak up about multiple misdeeds perpetrated against her. VERDICT An encouraging view of finding ways to connect and climb again post-trauma. Purchase this retelling.--Lisa Krok
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young woman is shunned and harassed by members of her youth group after they discover she had an abortion. Sixteen-year-old Tess Pine and her mother had to move in with Tess' strict Christian grandparents following the death of her father and the loss of her mom's job. Tess finds comfort in being with her peers from Grace Presbyterian; singing the choir is a particularly welcome outlet. So she feels terribly alone when they turn their backs on her after learning of her abortion. Tess struggles with the bullying, which includes someone spray-painting a red letter A on her locker in an unsubtle nod to The Scarlet Letter, and her conflicted feelings about a relationship she was forced to keep secret. She eventually finds hope among a new group of friends who share her love of music. This harrowing, poignant, first-person tale takes its time unfolding, and readers will both ache for Tess and feel fury over the situation she's been put in. Her slow but steady process of finding her voice rings emotionally true. Tess reads white; there's some diversity in race and sexual orientation among secondary characters. The book also shows a realistic variance in the ways the Christian characters relate to Tess. A heartfelt tale of an ostracized teen who finds caring people and a way through trauma. (author's note, resources) (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
