Halverson, Deborah. Honk if you hate me
Monalisa Kent has a reputation. She is known as the girl who single-handedly brought an end to the town’s main industry. Not that she did it purposely. At the age of six, she and her best friend, Pacho Glenn, were with her father who was using a blowtorch to create furniture in the town factory. When he set it down, she picked it up; it turned on and the place went up in flames along with the livelihood of most of the town’s residents. The fire also damaged Pacho’s eyes and the spirit of firefighter Binny, who gave up his profession to sell incense and bumper stickers. Mona frequents Binny’s shop to wear bumper stickers on her boots and to adorn her bedroom walls. If she is going to be stared at constantly, she might as well give them something to think about. On the 10th anniversary of the fateful fire, after the requisite newscast, Mona has had enough and jumps onto a table at the local diner and rattles off her favorite sayings. It causes the second Monalisa Kent stir as people all around town begin to talk about the “poetry raid.” Along with the notoriety comes the flashbacks, and what Mona remembers about the fire does not add up to the story told every year. In fact, Mona is led to believe that her father used her age and innocence to protect himself against charges that he started the fire. Suddenly, Pacho seems to have a new friend and so Mona starts hanging around with a guy from the local tattoo parlor who asks no questions and gives sage advice. The novel is filled with delightfully quirky characters, the twists and turns of community legend, and a serious exploration of the role that identity plays in our lives. Janis Flint-Ferguson, Assoc. Prof., English, Gordon College, Wenham, MA
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J–Recommended for junior high students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.
S–Recommended for senior high school students.