This Golden State

January 1, 2022
A teen tries to unravel her parents' secrets, truths that force the family to live on the run. Seventeen-year-old Poppy has lived her entire life knowing her family could need to pack up and vanish at a moment's notice. All she has is her mom, dad, and younger sister. When her parents suddenly move them again, this time to California, mathematically gifted Poppy gets to sign up for an intense summer STEM program. Despite her natural abilities and love for the subject matter, it's a tough wake-up call to be in a class with extremely privileged kids who've had much better educational opportunities. Frustrated by the restrictions of her lifestyle and her parents, who are so secretive Poppy doesn't know who they are let alone who she herself is, she impulsively takes a DNA test to unveil details about her ancestry; her classmate Harry, whose tech tycoon father is obsessed with secrecy, takes one, too. Poppy's DNA results indicate European heritage; Harry's test shows his ancestors came from Jamaica, South India, and Europe. When Poppy's not being encouraged by her professor to prioritize her STEM future or enjoying her complicated-yet-sweet budding romance with Harry, she's digging into the family history revealed by the DNA test, unwinding dangerous secrets. Her discoveries prove risky for her family and her relationships. The ending leaves a lot up in the air; though some readers will be frustrated and want more, the thematic resolution to Poppy's identity, family, and agency conflicts is solid. Captivating and introspective. (Fiction. 12-18)

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February 1, 2022

Gr 8 Up-Seventeen-year-old Poppy doesn't know why she and her family have been living on the run her whole life. All she knows is not to use real names, her family means everything, and not to ask her parents any questions, since not knowing the truth protects the family. As Poppy approaches her 18th birthday, she becomes increasingly curious about her parents' past as well as what her future holds beyond her secretive life. Her quiet world quickly spirals out of control as she unravels the truth and breaks her rule of getting too close to someone outside of family. Weisenberg creates page-turning suspense surrounding a criminal mystery full of family secrets as the reader follows Poppy on her journey of self-discovery as well as unearthing her family's past. The plot is made current and relatable to teens by using references to various social media platforms as well as modern technologies such as DNA testing, smartphones, and car-charging stations. It is also populated with complex characters who are revealed to be deeply emotional. Poppy and her family are white; her love interest is biracial with ancestors from Kerala, India, and Jamaica. VERDICT This coming-of-age mystery is perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus who enjoy a romantic subplot.-Lacey Webster

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2022
Poppy, seventeen, and her younger sister, Emma, have grown up on the run. Their parents, though loving, are fugitives from justice who use fake identities to settle in small towns all around the country and never hesitate to pull up stakes and vanish. Her hypervigilant dad maintains that the less the girls know, the better. Poppy and Emma respect their parents' wishes to stay off technology, and they don't even know their parents' real names. But in a beautiful California town, the vibe feels different ("For the first time in all my years running, something shifted"), and Poppy dares to wonder about her future, even convincing her father to arrange her enrollment in an advanced math class. She starts to spend time with classmate Harry, and with his help slowly pieces together her complicated backstory. Weisenberg delivers a compelling coming-of-age novel that explores personal responsibility and what we do for love and for family loyalty. Fans of crime stories, romances, and psychological thrillers will be fully invested. Luann Toth

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2022
Poppy, seventeen, and her younger sister, Emma, have grown up on the run. Their parents, though loving, are fugitives from justice who use fake identities to settle in small towns all around the country and never hesitate to pull up stakes and vanish. Her hypervigilant dad maintains that the less the girls know, the better. Poppy and Emma respect their parents' wishes to stay off technology, and they don't even know their parents' real names. But in a beautiful California town, the vibe feels different ("For the first time in all my years running, something shifted"), and Poppy dares to wonder about her future, even convincing her father to arrange her enrollment in an advanced math class. She starts to spend time with classmate Harry, and with his help slowly pieces together her complicated backstory. Weisenberg delivers a compelling coming-of-age novel that explores personal responsibility and what we do for love and for family loyalty. Fans of crime stories, romances, and psychological thrillers will be fully invested.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)