Heroine

 McGinnis, Mindy. Heroine. 2019. 419p. ISBN 9780062847195. Available at FIC MCG on the library shelves.

Mickey Catalan doesn't know her birth parents, doesn't know why her adoptive father left her family and started a new one, and doesn't know why she never seems to fit in a crowd. She does know that she's the best softball catcher there is, and with her friend Carolina at the mound, they are an unstoppable team. Mickey breathes and lives softball, and she's looking forward to her senior year season and the scouts that will come and recruit her to a college scholarship. 

Returning from picking up pizza, the two of them are in a car accident that flips the vehicle over. Carolina's pitching arm is injured, and Mickey's hip is crushed. At the hospital, emergency surgery patches Mickey up, but the prognostic is not good. With 12 weeks left before the start of softball, it's highly improbable that she will find herself behind the plate. Mickey is dedicated and stubborn, however, and she will do anything to speed up recovery. Prescribed oxycontin to control her pain, she soon first herself under the influence of the drug, always seeking a higher dose. Having gone through her entire supply, Mickey's not sure how she will get her next pill, and her doctor refuses to help. A nice old lady offers her a few pills outside the clinic, and provides her with her phone number if she wants more.

At Edith's home, Mickey meets Josie, who loves oxy too, and unlike Mickey Josie has money to burn. The two of them settle in a friendship of sorts where they do drugs at Edith's, and soon two boys from Josie's school join them. Mickey's physical condition improves, and she slowly begins to work out with Carolina, who's also suffering through her own recovery. With the softball season about to start, Mickey gets the all clear to play, and her doctor and physical therapist are impressed with her progress. Mickey wants to keep her secret safe, and doesn't consider herself an addict, but when her source of oxy runs dry, she makes the switch to heroine and begins injecting herself. 

As the season progresses, Mickey's lies and actions begin to catch up with her, and even though she realizes that she no longer needs the drug for her pain, she can't let it go. With everything on the line, including a softball championship and her relationship with her parents, Mickey will find herself with no choice at all ...

Mickey's descent into addiction is slow and progressive, and demonstrates how a reasonable person can fall into the pits of addiction despair. She continues to make bad decisions, her judgement affected by what the drug does to her and always chasing that elusive high that will make her forget her difficulties. Fans of realistic fiction and those who know someone in the throes of addiction will appreciate the powerful descriptions of Mickey's slow descent into drug hell, and how she eventually comes out of it.

Pretty

Sayre, Justin. Pretty. 2017. 222p. ISBN 978-0-448-48417-4. Available at FIC SAY on the library shelves.

At thirteen, Sophie has already experienced more abuse and worries than most kids. Her parents are divorced. Her White father is French and lives in Paris. Janet, her Black mother lives with Sophie in Brooklyn, and is a fashion editor. But she’s also a drunk, and for years Sophie has suffered in silence as Janet drinks herself into oblivion every night. Some nights Janet makes it to bed okay. Most nights Janet passes out before landing in her bed. Sometimes Janet gets violent and hits Sophie. Always Janet berates Sophie for not being good enough. Sophie lives in fear of the bad days and counts her blessing every time her mother makes it by herself to her bed. Sophie always manages to escape early in the morning and makes her way to school with her friend Ducks.

Following a particularly violent encounter, Sophie attends school and hangs out with her friend Allegra, who’s very interested in boys, especially Brian. Ryan, Brian’s friend, shows some interest in Sophie, but she’s not sure how to reciprocate or even whether she’s actually interested. When she returns home that night, she finds that her aunt Amara, a successful university professor, has moved in and Janet has left on a trip for an undetermined period of time. Suddenly Sophie doesn’t have to worry about her mother passing out, or hitting her. But her aunt also has expectations. She wants Sophie to tell her about her school day. She supervises homework. She takes Sophie to church. And as restrictive as her aunt’s way of parenting feels, it also feels comforting.

With a more stable home environment, Sophie can now fully focus herself on her school life. It’s complicated with Allegra, who seems to hold against Sophie the fact that she is pretty. She’s not certain whether she likes Ryan, but he sure talks about himself a lot and never asks questions about her own life. Her friends Ellen and Ducks are there for her, but is she there for them? Through Janet’s absence, Sophie will discover what it means to be true to herself.