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WORK TITLE: You Don’t Know Me but I Know You
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.rebecca-barrow.com/
CITY: England
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY:
http://www.katehart.net/2017/08/badass-ladies-you-should-know-rebecca.html
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and young adult novelist.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Rebecca Barrow is a young adult (YA) novelist who began writing at a young age. “I actually decided not to go to university, even though I already had a place and everything, because I just really wanted to write and didn’t want to get into debt taking lectures I wasn’t interested in that would be no guarantee of me getting published,” Barrow noted in an interview with Kate Hart for Hart’s website Kate Hart, adding: “It was a big risk and I don’t necessarily recommend it for everyone!” Barrow went on in the interview with Hart to say that she believes she eventually became a published author primarily because of “sheer stubbornness,” adding: “I had decided to do this and therefore I had to make it work.”
Barrow’s debut YA novel, You Don’t Know Me but I Know You, finds mix-raced, seventeen-year-old Audrey fairly satisfied with her life. She has good friends and a boyfriend, the musically gifted Julian. She also gets along great with her white mom, Laura. Audrey was adopted, but she has no thoughts about looking for her birth parents. It turns out that Audrey’s birth mother, Amanda, who is white, specifically chose Laura to adopt Audrey. Also on hand is Laura’s partner, who is also white and now lives with Laura and Audrey.
Things begin to change, however, when Audrey discovers that she is pregnant, despite the fact that she used birth control. Julian and both sets of parents handle the news well and are supportive. “I wanted to surround her with supportive voices,” Barrow told Kit Frick in an interview for Frick’s self-named website, Kit Frick, adding: “Firstly because I think anyone who becomes pregnant should be given that grace and it infuriates me that in reality that’s not what always happens, and secondly, because it almost pushes Audrey into having to make this choice by herself. Or not by herself, for herself.”
Audrey, however, does decide to try to keep her pregnancy secret from her friends, even her best friend Rose. Meanwhile, Audrey agonizes over what she must do, finding herself in a situation just like her birth mother so many years earlier. Audrey can give birth and keep the baby or give the baby up for adoption or she can get an abortion. Believing she is not equipped to be a good mother, Audrey initially decides that an abortion is the answer. “Barrow opts for realism over a scared-straight approach to teen pregnancy, which readers will appreciate,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor.
Meanwhile, Audrey has a letter written to her by her birth mother seventeen years earlier telling Audrey that she gave her up because she believed Laura could give Audrey a better life. Audrey has kept the letter in a box in the back of her closet and seldom thinks about it. Then a new letter arrives from Amanda, but Audrey refuses to read it. Furthermore, Audrey and Rose have begun to drift apart. Not only did Audrey try to keep her pregnancy a secret from Rose, her friend also has a secret she has kept from Audrey. Eventually, Audrey decides to read the recent letter that Amanda has sent her. It reveals much about Amanda’s life after she gave up Audrey and provides Amanda a different perspective concerning her adoption and her own pregnancy.
“Barrow’s precise, third-person, past-tense narration captures Audrey’s turmoil,” wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor, who went on to note: Barrow “steadily resists cliché and tired tropes all the way to the novel’s deeply felt, unflinching conclusion.” Desz’ree Thomas, writing for School Library Journal, called You Don’t Know Me but I Know You “a good read for realistic fiction fans who enjoy YA with complicated relationships.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, June, 2017, Lexi Walter Wright, review of You Don’t Know Me but I Know You, p. 101.
Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2017, review of You Don’t Know Me but I Know You.”
Publishers Weekly May 29, 2017, “You Don’t Know Me but I Know You.” p. 70.
School Library Journal, July, 2017, Desz’ree Thomas, review of You Don’t Know Me but I Know You, p. 85.
Voice of Youth Advocates, October, 2017, Beth Karpas, “review of You Don’t Know Me but I Know You, p. 52.
ONLINE
Kate Hart, http://www.katehart.net/ (April 24, 2018), Kate Hart, “Badass Ladies You Should Know: Rebecca Barrow.”
Kit Frick, https://kitfrick.com/ (August 29, 2017), Kit Frick, “Rebecca Barrow: You Don’t Know Me but I Know You.”
Rebecca Barrow Website, http://www.rebecca-barrow.com (April 24, 2018).
Rebecca Barrow writes stories about girls and all the wonders they can be. A lipstick obsessive with the ability to quote the entirety of Mean Girls, she lives in England, where it rains a considerable amount more than in the fictional worlds of her characters. She collects tattoos, cats, and more books than she could ever possibly read. You can visit her online at www.rebecca-barrow.com.
Rebecca Barrow writes stories about girls and all the wonders they can be. A lipstick obsessive with the ability to quote the entirety of Mean Girls, she lives in England, where it rains a considerable amount more than in the fictional worlds of her characters. She collects tattoos, cats, and more books than she could ever possibly read. YOU DON'T KNOW ME BUT I KNOW YOU is her first novel.
Badass Ladies You Should Know: Rebecca Barrow Kate Hart 8:00 AM badass ladies, badass ladies profile, writer interviews, writing
Rebecca Barrow's upcoming YA debut, You Don't Know Me But I Know You, releases next week. The fact that it takes on abortion and adoption is enough to qualify Rebecca as a badass, but if you follow her anywhere online, you know that's just the tip of the badass iceberg. Read on to learn how she became a writer, her take on feminism, who she names as fellow badass ladies -- and don't forget to enter her giveaway at the end, open internationally!
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cover of You Don't Know Me But I Know You
Kate: Describe your career(s) and/or current projects. What path(s) and passions led you there?
Rebecca: I’m a YA author and my first book is coming out VERY SOON! It wasn’t really a complicated path to get here: I’ve always written stories (terrible ones) and when I was sixteen I decided that my former career dreams of fashion buyer/screenwriter/nurse were out and author was in. I actually decided not to go to university, even though I already had a place and everything, because I just really wanted to write and didn’t want to get into debt taking lectures I wasn’t interested in that would be no guarantee of me getting published. It was a big risk and I don’t necessarily recommend it for everyone! But it’s starting to pay off. Sometimes I think the only thing that got me from that sixteen-year-old to published author was sheer stubbornness. (I am every inch the Scorpio.) I had decided to do this and therefore I had to make it work. Obviously I got the other two parts of the equation, luck and timing, but even now when I’m being hard on myself and thinking you’ll never be successful, this other part of me is like Oh yeah? Fucking watch me.
cross-stitch of the word "bitch" surrounded by flowers
Kate: Do you have any (other) creative outlets? How do they influence/affect your main work (if at all)?
Rebecca: I play the piano; I started like so many people, when I was six or so, and did all my grades, briefly considered getting a diploma in music, and then quickly realized it was not for me. I still play but not as often, and only for myself. I’m not good at composing, so I only play pieces written by other people, and I actually find that a relief. Writing is so much creating things from nothing, but playing music is just a matter of taking what’s already there and making it come alive. I also go through phases of needle-based crafts—last was knitting, now it’s cross stitch. Again, I just follow patterns—it’s this feeling of satisfaction knowing that all I have to do is follow the instructions and I’ll end up with a pretty thing. Sadly there are no instructions for writing books and what I end up with is rarely pretty, at least not before I take six months to a year to make it that way. So it’s nice to have other outlets where the creation is beyond my control.
Rebecca playing piano
Kate: What's your biggest challenge?
Rebecca: Worrying about what other people think of me. Constantly. And what they think of my work, and should I change this or that to appease their imaginary opinions of me, and will that make them like me/my work or take me more seriously…am I cool author, do readers like me, should I be more like X or Y to be successful? It’s EXHAUSTING.
Kate: Tell us something that makes you proud.
Rebecca: I’m proud that I’ve gotten this far in my writing career. It’s hard sometimes to remember how impossible this all seemed—I think that’s a trap many creative people fall into. Failing to stop and appreciate how far you’ve come, and instead focusing on how far you have to go until the next goal. A few years ago all I wanted was to get a literary agent. A few years before that, it was to write a book-length thing. Now I have written more manuscripts that I’d like to remember, gotten an agent, sold a book that’s very important to me, and that book is coming out into the world. Ten-years-ago me would be astounded, and I think present-me should remember that.
Also I do love when people say my book made them cry. Sorry not sorry for playing with your emotions!
Kate: Did you have any defining moments that galvanized your understanding of and/or commitment to feminism? How does it inform/inspire your work?
Rebecca: I don’t think I’ve had any BAM moments—it’s been more a slow opening of my eyes. I think I’ve always considered myself a feminist, and I was definitely raised to think of myself as a feminist, but as I get older and read and learn more, my definition and understanding of that word expands. I think all of my work is feminist, even in ways I don’t explicitly intend. I write about teenage girls, mostly mixed race/black, dealing with reproductive health issues, mental health, relationships, sexuality—even if I wasn’t doing it intentionally, these things are viewed through such a lens of Politics anyway. But I am doing it purposefully and with intention, and I hope that always comes through.
Lightning round: Tell us what you’re…
reading: Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr
watching: Pretty Little Liars, always
listening to: Christina Aguilera’s third album Back to Basics. Where is the next album???
eating: Skittles
doing: thinking about the next book
wearing: Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in Blackest Black
wishing for: Miu Miu jeweled acetate sunglasses in blue
wanting: stability, sunshine
loving: my pets
Kate: Who are some other badass ladies we need to know & why?
Rebecca:
Nicolette Mason—fashion writer and blogger talking about body positivity, fat fashion, queer issues. site | twitter
Ruby Tandoh—food writer talking about body positivity, the politics of food and the diet industry, mental health, queer issues. twitter | her books
Alice Fanchiang—poet, ray of sunshine, Hamilton superfan, geek fashion queen. IG | her poem Skin
first pass pages for You Don't Know Me But I Know You
Kate: What are the best ways to support other women?
Rebecca: Listening and amplifying other voices. Support their work—buy their books, music, creations; share their stories, in their own words. Ask what is needed of you and then do it.
Kate: What is your advice to aspiring badasses?
Rebecca: Find people who get you and understand what you want to do. You won’t feel so alone.
Rebecca Barrow :: YOU DON’T KNOW ME BUT I KNOW YOU
PUBLISHED on August 29, 2017
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CATEGORIES// DEBUT-TO-DEBUT
TAGS// INTERVIEW, YA, YOUNG ADULT
I’m excited to share the fifth interview in the Debut-to-Debut Series! I’ve been talking to a fantastic group of debut young adult novelists this spring and summer, and that will continue throughout 2017, 2018, and 2019—the year leading up to, during, and following my own debut. I’m so excited to share these books, and insights into these authors’ experiences, with you. You can find all the interviews in the series collected right here.
I recently corresponded with Rebecca Barrow about her debut young adult novel You Don’t Know Me But I Know You (HarperTeen, August 2017).
From the jacket:
There’s a box in the back of Audrey’s closet that she rarely thinks about.
Inside is a letter, seventeen years old, from a mother she’s never met, handed to her by the woman she’s called Mom her whole life. Being adopted, though, is just one piece in the puzzle of Audrey’s life—the picture painstakingly put together by Audrey herself, full of all the people and pursuits that make her who she is.
But when Audrey realizes that she’s pregnant, she feels something—a tightly sealed box in the closet corners of her heart—crack open, spilling her dormant fears and unanswered questions all over the life she loves.
Almost two decades ago, a girl in Audrey’s situation made a choice, one that started Audrey’s entire story. Now Audrey is paralyzed by her own what-ifs and terrified by the distance she feels growing between her and her best friend Rose. Down every possible path is a different unfamiliar version of her life, and as she weighs the options in her mind, she starts to wonder—what does it even mean to be Audrey Spencer?
KIT FRICK: When seventeen-year-old Audrey learns she’s pregnant, she and her boyfriend Julian are faced with a complex decision: What happens next? While the choice ultimately rests with Audrey, it’s not a decision she makes in a vacuum, and the people in Audrey’s life support and challenge her in different ways. Tell us a bit about creating Audrey’s network of family and friends: Were there specific voices you wanted Audrey to hear throughout the course of the novel? Any ideas about teen pregnancy that, as a writer, you worked to challenge, elevate, or overturn?
REBECCA BARROW: In all honestly, I didn’t have any idea of specific voices I wanted Audrey to hear from. She actually doesn’t tell many people about the pregnancy, and the people she does speak to are all supportive and tell her that whatever she decides, they’ll be there for her. Although that itself was a pretty specific choice I made—I wanted to surround her with supportive voices. Firstly because I think anyone who becomes pregnant should be given that grace and it infuriates me that in reality that’s not what always happens, and secondly, because it almost pushes Audrey into having to make this choice by herself. Or not by herself, for herself. She doesn’t have her parents or friends or boyfriend telling her what to do or pushing her in one specific direction, so she can’t lean on that (even though she does take their words into consideration). Audrey has to take everything she hears and every thought of her own, and figure out by herself what she wants to do.
The one person I did want Audrey to hear from was someone who she knows has been in this same position as her before—her birth mother. I won’t go too much into detail about what happens between them, but it was important to me to show the impact they still have on each other, seventeen years after everything.
KIT: You Don’t Know Me But I Know You is, at its core, a novel about difficult choices and the process of discovering—and deciding—who you are and what your future will hold. Audrey’s story is uniquely hers, yet adolescence is a time of identity formation and big decisions for many teens. What about the idea of shaping one’s own identity—both with the cards you’re dealt and the ones you deal yourself—appeals to you on an authorial and/or personal level?
REBECCA: I think writing about who you are and who you want to become really appeals to me because so often, we are told who and what we’re supposed to be. Especially when you’re young; there’s so much talk and assumption about the path you’re going to follow, and so little room given for people to actually figure things out for themselves. Then there’s the assumptions that come because of your gender, your race, your sexuality, your economic background…I love to see people pushing back against those assumptions, giving all of it the middle finger and becoming wholly themselves.
I find myself writing about characters who are yearning for big things. There’s a point in life, I feel like, when we switch from telling people that they can do anything they dream, to saying that they need to be “realistic.” I don’t think the two are necessarily mutually exclusive, and I like exploring that.
And I really like the idea that we can constantly be shifting and changing who we are, what we want—as teenagers, or thirty-somethings, or at seventy years old.
KIT: Tell us something about You Don’t Know Me But I Know You that isn’t apparent from the book cover or flap copy. We want the inside scoop!
REBECCA: This book has been through a couple of transformations—it actually used to be dual POV. So Rose (Audrey’s best friend) had her own chapters and her whole storyline was explored a little more in-depth. I ended up pulling the book apart after feedback that it was really heavy and I was maybe throwing too much into this one book. I would love to go back into Rose’s story in some way one day; she’s such a complex character, and a challenge for me to write, in a good way.
Another thing: in the very first version, Audrey did not get pregnant. Her mom did!
KIT: What gives you the most joy about your life as a YA writer right now? Tell us about something that brings you satisfaction at this moment in time.
REBECCA: Right now, it’s seeing my writing get better. I love working with my editor, Elizabeth Lynch, and the way she pushes me into places I hadn’t even thought of going. I always want to challenge myself and grow, and I hope that as my career progresses, people will sense those changes in my work. It’s an amazing feeling to step back from what I’m working on and think, “Oh, wow. I’m really proud of this.”
KIT: The publishing journey is unique for every author, but it’s safe to say that the road to book publication is filled with surprises, twists, and turns for all of us. What has surprised you most about the process of putting a first book into the world?
REBECCA: The waiting! I know, I know, that’s not a surprise to anyone but me, right? We all know publishing is just waiting and secrets. But I wasn’t at all prepared for what I’ve come to think of as the lull—the time between deal announcement and the point around three months out from publication when things start happening. That time felt endless to me—the initial excitement everyone has kind of dies down, because your book’s still so far away from being out, and there’s nothing much you can say to people beyond “I’m working on edits!” It’s been a long eighteen months.
KIT: Drawing from your own unique experience, what advice would you to give to future young adult debut authors, or debut novelists in general?
REBECCA: My favourite, oft-repeated advice (that I could do with taking…) is keep your eyes on your own paper. Your career is not anyone else’s career, your book is not their book, your path is not their path. You will stress yourself out so much looking at other people’s tour dates and festival appearances and starred reviews and and and… Just because you might not have those things doesn’t mean people don’t think your book is good, or that you are not worthy, or you’re not going to be successful. There’s only so much that you the author can control, and the rest is beyond you. So focus on your writing, whatever promotion it is that you’ve decided to do, and let the rest go.
Rebecca Barrow writes stories about girls and all the wonders they can be. A lipstick obsessive with the ability to quote the entirety of Mean Girls, she lives in England, where it rains a considerable amount more than in the fictional worlds of her characters. She collects tattoos, cats, and more books than she could ever possibly read. You Don’t Know Me But I Know You is her first novel.
Website | Twitter | Instagram
Kit Frick is a novelist, poet, and MacDowell Colony fellow. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. When she isn’t putting complicated characters in impossible situations, Kit edits poetry and literary fiction for a small press, edits for private clients, and mentors emerging writers through Pitch Wars. Her debut young adult novel is See All the Stars (Simon & Schuster / Margaret K. McElderry Books, summer 2018), and her debut full-length poetry collection is A Small Rising Up in the Lungs (New American Press, fall 2018).
You Don’t Know Me But I Know You is out now and is available wherever books are sold. Allow me to recommend your local indie, in addition to Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Barrow, Rebecca. You Don't Know Me but I Know You
Beth Karpas
Voice of Youth Advocates. 40.4 (Oct. 2017): p52+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
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Barrow, Rebecca. You Don't Know Me but I Know You. HarperTeen, August 2017. 336p. $17.99. 978-0-06-249419-1.
Audrey is seventeen and life is good. She knows she was adopted and she has no desire to go looking for her birth parents. Audrey has a close-knit group of friends, a boyfriend, and a good rapport with her happy mom. When Audrey finds out she is pregnant despite being on the pill and being careful and consistent about birth control, she tells her boyfriend first, then both sets of parents. All of them take the news unbelievably well. Telling her friends is harder, and keeping it secret leads to the chief conflict of the novel--her relationship with her best friend, Rose. This is the story of Audrey dealing with early pregnancy and deciding how to proceed: adoption, keeping the baby--either with her boyfriend or as a single mom--or abortion. Eventually, she decides upon abortion as the best choice for her because she does not feel ready for a child.
Audrey is fully characterized and completely believable. Her world is thrown into chaos when she is faced with the same issues another woman faced seventeen years earlier--about Audrey's fate. The gentle, almost perfect responses of her parents and friends, however, feel contrived. Even her friend who is angry is not angry about the pregnancy, but about not being told. This pulls the reader from the story; it is too perfectly constructed to be relatable. Debut author Barrow explores the complex issues of teen pregnancy, adoption, and abortion in a world where everyone is caring, gentle, and perfect. The book will find readers--Audrey is strong, thoughtful, and candid--and it is useful as a fictional introduction to teen pregnancy and the ensuing decisions one must make.--Beth Karpas.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Karpas, Beth. "Barrow, Rebecca. You Don't Know Me but I Know You." Voice of Youth Advocates, Oct. 2017, p. 52+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A511784998/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=277dbff1. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A511784998
Barrow, Rebecca: YOU DON'T KNOW ME BUT I KNOW YOU
Kirkus Reviews. (June 15, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Barrow, Rebecca YOU DON'T KNOW ME BUT I KNOW YOU HarperTeen (Children's Fiction) $17.99 8, 29 ISBN: 978-0-06-249419-1
Audrey's grateful for the life her teen birth mother gave her with a loving adoptive mother; 17 years later, Audrey, confused and fearful of making the wrong choice, must deal with her own unplanned pregnancy. Brown-skinned, mixed-race Audrey's white birth mother, Amanda, chose Laura as her parent in a closed adoption. Laura's partner, Adam (both are white), now lives with Laura and Audrey. Dreaming of a career in photography, Audrey knows she's not working at her full potential. She has a loving, stable home; great friends diverse in both race and sexuality; and a wonderful musician boyfriend, Julian. Julian's white, Jewish family is as fond of Audrey as hers is of Julian. Audrey's pregnancy is a shock; they'd used birth control. They're in love, determined to make the right choice, whatever that is. Their families accept their choice and will support it, once made. Audrey trusts Julian will be there for her; but a baby would reshape their lives, futures they're still planning. Abortion is scary; adoption is hard. Audrey's kept Amanda's letter that expresses the hope that Laura can give Audrey the life Amanda cannot. When a new letter arrives from Amanda, Audrey doesn't read it. Barrow's precise, third-person, past-tense narration captures Audrey's turmoil as time begins to run out; she's immobilized by indecision and anxiety, at odds with friends, family, even Julian. She steadily resists cliche and tired tropes all the way to the novel's deeply felt, unflinching conclusion. This compelling, closely observed debut charts its appealing characters' difficult journey with clarity and honesty. (Fiction. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Barrow, Rebecca: YOU DON'T KNOW ME BUT I KNOW YOU." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495427696/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=3ff577eb. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495427696
You Don't Know Me but I Know You
Lexi Walters Wright
Booklist. 113.19-20 (June 2017): p101+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
You Don't Know Me but I Know You. By Rebecca Barrow. Aug. 2017.336p. HarperTeen, $17.99 (9780062494191). Gr. 9-12.
It's unfair to call this simply a book about teen pregnancy. Yes, 17-year-old Audrey finds herself unexpectedly pregnant by her longtime beloved, Julian. And fittingly, the bulk of this nuanced novel follows her as she wrestles with choosing what to do next. Adopted as a baby herself, Audrey ruminates on that option: How might the life of her child differ from her own upbringing? Should she follow the path of her birth mother, from whom she has only ever read a single letter? If she keeps the baby, can she offer all she gratefully experienced growing up? She also wonders about abortion: How might it shape the person she is trying to become, and who is that, anyway? Through starkly genuine conversations with her boyfriend, her mother, and her best friend, Audrey is encouraged in earnest to make her choice with integrity. In this debut novel, Barrow has crafted soulful, complex characters who will resonate with readers who've had to contemplate the weight of their decisions upon their futures and themselves. --Lexi Walters Wright
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Wright, Lexi Walters. "You Don't Know Me but I Know You." Booklist, June 2017, p. 101+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A498582849/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8913a45c. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A498582849
You Don't Know Me but I Know You
Publishers Weekly. 264.22 (May 29, 2017): p70.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
You Don't Know Me but I Know You
Rebecca Barrow. HarperTeen, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-06-249419-1
After learning that she's pregnant, 17-year-old photographer Audrey Spencer faces overwhelming choices that will affect her future. With her dreams of art school and adventures with her friends and musician boyfriend, Julian, slipping away, Audrey reflects on her childhood and her relationship with her adopted mother, considers baby names with Julian, and researches the possibility of termination. As Audrey and her best friend Rose drift apart, both keeping heavy secrets, and Audrey pushes away others who care for her, she tries to find a middle ground between self-care and fear. A letter from Audrey's birth mother plays an integral role in her decision, but the choice is ultimately what she believes is best for herself, Julian, and a potential child. Audrey's emotions swing wildly; she alternately lashes out and seeks reassurance, candidly portraying the all-consuming and delicate nature of her situation and the choice she faces. Debut author Barrow opts for realism over a scared-straight approach to teen pregnancy, which readers will appreciate. Ages 14-up. Agent: Jennifer Johnson-Blalock, Liza Dawson Associates. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"You Don't Know Me but I Know You." Publishers Weekly, 29 May 2017, p. 70. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A494500806/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2dcbf70e. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A494500806
Barrow, Rebecca. You Don't Know Me but I Know You
Deszree Thomas
School Library Journal. 63.7 (July 2017): p85+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
BARROW, Rebecca. You Don't Know Me but I Know You. 336p. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Aug. 2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062494191.
Gr 9 Up--A contemporary YA that examines the impact of a life-changing choice. Audrey is a black 17-year-old artist who has just found out that she's pregnant. Her best friend Rose is strangely emotionally unavailable, and Audrey is ashamed of her current situation. Her boyfriend Julian is supportive, but he's a musician with an opportunity to attend a music academy. Audrey receives encouragement and support from her adoptive mother Laura and her stepfather Alex. They work to provide a relatively judgment-free zone for Audrey and Julian to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. A recent letter from the protagonist's birth mother shines a different light on her adoption and her birth mother's life after adoption. The teens experience all the thrills of being potential parents and the agony of maybe missing out on their own opportunities. Both work together to figure out the best path. The debut author adeptly portrays the weight of the decision-making process and its effect on all of the characters. The birth mother's role is superficial, but otherwise this is a good read for realistic fiction fans who enjoy YA with complicated relationships. VERDICT A strong choice for large YA collections.--Desz'ree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Thomas, Deszree. "Barrow, Rebecca. You Don't Know Me but I Know You." School Library Journal, July 2017, p. 85+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497611150/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=9ff96a6e. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A497611150