And then there was us / Kern Carter.

Title :

And then there was us

Author:

Format:

Books

Summary:

"Coi is just eighteen years old but has already survived years of physical and verbal abuse from her mother. After being kicked out of her mother's house at age fourteen, Coi has lived with her father, and together they've created a peaceful life. That peace ends suddenly when her mother dies. Her mother's passing also reopens up the door to her mother's side of the family, including her beloved younger half-sister, Kayla, her stepfather and her grandmother. As she reconnects with her family, Coi learns to see parts of her mother she never experienced and for the first time since she was abandoned, opens her heart to forgiveness."--

Language:

English

ISBN - ISSN:

9781774883402

1774883406

Physical Description:

223 pages ; 22 cm

Subject:

Mothers -- Death -- Fiction.

Abused children -- Fiction.

Mother and child -- Fiction.

Teenage girls -- Fiction.

Young adult fiction.

Bildungsromans.

First Title value, for Searching:

And then there was us / Kern Carter.

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Library	Audience	Home Location	Material Type	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Central	Teen/Young Adult	Fiction	Teen Book	CARTE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Collier	Teen/Young Adult	Fiction	Teen Book	CARTE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Looscan	Teen/Young Adult	Fiction	Teen Book	CARTE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mancuso	Teen/Young Adult	Fiction	Teen Book	CARTE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

A mother's death forces a teen girl to reevaluate their tumultuous relationship in this powerful coming-of-age novel for teens. For fans of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter .

After years of physical and verbal abuse from her mother, fourteen-year-old Coi moved in with her father, and together they created a peaceful life. But now, four years later, that peace is shattered when her mother dies.

While Coi struggles to find kindness in her heart for the woman who did nothing but hurt her, her mother's passing does help reopen the door to her mother's side of the family. It's only through reconnecting with her estranged family members, especially her younger half-sister Kayla, that Coi's long-held views about her mother are challenged.

And when Coi begins to see visions of her mother in her dreams, she is forced to ask herself what it means to forgive and be forgiven, and, most importantly, what it means to be family.

Author Notes

KERN CARTER is the author of Boys and Girls Screaming , along with two self-published novels, Thoughts of a Fractured Soul (novella) and Beauty Scars . In addition to his writing, Kern is a filmmaker and also teaches professional writing at a local college, committed to supporting emerging writers and helping them find their voice. He lives in Toronto.

Reviews (2)

Kirkus Review

A teenager, whose family has roots in Trinidad and Jamaica, juggles anxiety and grief after the sudden death of her mother. It's been over four years since 18-year-old Coi last heard from her estranged mother, Crissy, who breaks the silence between them with an unexpected call. It's a terse exchange, filled with hostility, and results in Coi's having a panic attack. Her father offers constant support, yet even his cocoon of protection can't buffer her from the dramatic shifts and ongoing fallout between his former partner and only daughter. Coi voices a glaring truth about her expectations of the flawed mother who rejected her: "She didn't have to be perfect." Aunty, Crissy's younger sister, "was always present," however, recognizing the early signs of turmoil between Coi's parents. After Crissy gets in a fatal car accident, Coi grapples with repairing the rifts and ruptures within her family; initially, she's barely on speaking terms with her maternal grandmother. The first-person perspective immerses readers in Coi's feelings, including her understandably sharp anger and disappointment, as the book explores themes of reconciliation and overcoming familial conflicts. Aunty supports Coi in becoming her own woman by sharing feminist texts; the book contains an implicit critique of the "strong Black woman" trope and also unpacks the fallout when a woman isn't "a good mother." Carter's language isn't dazzling, but his prose is clean, and he weaves in pop-culture references, adding a layer of relatability for young readers. An emotional story of family and growth. (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

When Coi was 14, her father won complete custody of her and she moved out of her mother's house. For Coi, it was a relief to escape her mother's abuse, but she also had to cut off all contact, including with her half sister, Kayla, and stepfather, Dave. Five years later, her mother gets in a car accident and, after a while in a coma, she dies. Coi's reunion with her estranged family is awkward and strained, especially when she refuses to go to her mother's funeral. All Coi can remember is her mother's anger and abuse, and her rigid grandmother Lady doesn't help, since she tears Coi down at any opportunity. But Coi begins to have lucid dreams featuring her mother, leading her to find out more about her, though she can't forget the abuse. Coi displays significant growth over the course of the novel as she navigates the path between "me" and "us." The novel is well paced and populated with strong and sympathetic characters who help Coi along the way.