The Year I Stopped Trying

October 15, 2021
A rule-following teen falls off her prescribed path in this contemporary novel. Sixteen-year-old Mary Davies misses a homework assignment, and it becomes the catalyst for a journey of self-discovery that involves leaving work undone, skipping extra credit options, and pursuing Mitch, a guy she has a sort-of history with, as she becomes untethered from her self-image as an overachiever. Brief vignettes narrated in Mary's wry, clever, often funny first-person voice propel the story forward, including the ups and downs of her job at a fast-casual restaurant where a new co-worker, Elyse, is a kindred spirit whom Mary is thrilled to befriend. The narrative strikes a balance between humor, wise insights, and spot-on depictions of the awkward spaces that often accompany newfound self-awareness. Mary's Catholic upbringing is an integral part of her character, and many of her musings about faith seem to leave her with more questions than answers. The cast of secondary characters is also carefully developed, and the nuances of their relationships to Mary realistically change as she comes to understand them differently and comes to some conclusions--including ones about her actual feelings for Mitch--that leave off somewhat ambiguously but on a hopeful note. Mary and Mitch are White; Korean American Elyse is gay. Sparing and intelligent, with humor and heart in equal measure. (Fiction. 14-18)

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October 25, 2021
Junior class council secretary Mary Davies, a white, “tightly wound” Catholic 16-year-old, earns excellent grades. Then she accidentally misses an assignment, the world doesn’t end, and she begins to realize how much she is defined by being good. She doesn’t know what her relationship with her parents “outside my achievements and my obedience” looks like; “I don’t know who I am without grades and rules. What if there isn’t anything else?” Soon, Mary has stopped trying in school, devoted instead to seeking a distraction in the form of a boyfriend: specifically, Mitch Kulikosky, a white, pink-haired “bad boy” who was “briefly fake boyfriend in sixth grade” and is now “insanely, stupidly hot.” Frequent after-school drives lead to a mutually felt closeness—but simultaneously, Elyse Jhang, a gay Korean American girl, starts working at La Baguette, the fast casual restaurant Mary works at, and they become friends. In short, often sharply humorous vignettes from Mary’s first-person perspective, Heaney (Girl Crushed) offers a quiet narrative that shines in its depiction of the indignities and boredom of high school jobs, the malleability of identity, and navigating expectations versus desire. Ages 12–up. Agent: Allison Hunter, Janklow & Nesbit Associates.

Starred review from November 1, 2021

Gr 8 Up-No one notices 16-year-old Mary Davies; even the name of her best friend, Cara Shah, she believes is glamorous where hers is plain. An excellent student, Mary is used to meeting the expectations of others, but she's never put "what I want" on her to-do list. Then one day her history homework goes missing, confusing Mary at first but also allowing her to ask: What if I gave myself permission to just let go? Her grades drop to C's-she's nowhere near flunking out-and she tries her first cigarette, which make her feel as if she can "do anything." She asks out Mitch, whose hair is pink and who's absent a lot. She learns that he hides in the library stacks so he can draw, and studies something he loves-woodworking-outside of school. He has more of a plan than she does. Mary splits her time between Mitch and a part-time job as a barista, joking around with Elyse, a new employee whose sly sense of humor and interest in Mary sparks a friendship, and maybe more. As Mary realizes she and Mitch are just friends, it becomes more clear that she's attracted to Elyse, who's gay. Mary and the other teens are white, while Elyse is Korean. VERDICT Focusing on the subtle metamorphosis of one funny, high-achieving teen who decides she'd rather know herself than please others, this book embraces coming of age and coming out with humor, candor, and grace. A must for all collections.-Georgia Christgau, LaGuardia Community Coll., Long Island City, NY

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