School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Nell moves from Chicago to Alabama in the middle of her high school career; she's not happy about leaving her boyfriend or her friends behind. She winds up working at a store that sells lost or left behind items from airports. Nell connects with her new coworker Doris. Together they start bonding with Grant. He used to be the town football hero before he drove while drunk, smashed his car, and broke his girlfriend's arm. Now he's trying desperately to regain control over alcohol and his life. The change of pace at the store from his football friends is helping him. They form a tight-knit trio who work to overcome their personal baggage and find their true selves. Doll's YA debut packs a punch. Nestled into this breezy book about friendship and love sits conversations on racism, religion, sexual assault, alcoholism, and life choices. The friendship among Nell, Doris, and Grant creates a safe place where the three of them can come to terms with issues and not be judged. The quirky store where they work sets the tone for the novel. VERDICT A great choice for fans of Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone.-Jennifer Rummel, Cragin Library, Colchester, CT © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
What happens to the suitcases left unclaimed at airports? They go to stores that sort through, and sell, their contents. Sixteen-year-old Doris works at just such a store in a small Alabama town, as do Nell and fellow high schooler Grant, and the three teens become unlikely friends. Doris is an anomaly in their conservative town because she doesn't believe in God-and doesn't mind saying so; Nell's family has just moved from Chicago; and Grant was a local football hero, until his drinking cost him his position on the team, his girlfriend, and his self-respect. In her YA debut, Doll skillfully integrates three alternating voices-especially Doris, with her gift for finding things-in a story threaded through with relationships and identities lost and found. Over the course of the summer, junk and treasures, both sentimental and real, pass through the shop; family history is reclaimed; and things, stories, and people find new places to belong. Ages 12-up. Agent: Ryan Harbage, Fischer-Harbage Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.