Capricious by Gabrielle Prendergast

Abstract

Reviewed by: Capricious by Gabrielle Prendergast Karen Coats Prendergast, Gabrielle Capricious. Orca, 2017 [352p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4598-0267-4 $19.95 Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-4598-1428-8 $14.95 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-4598-0269-8 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12 In the previous book, Audacious, Ella created a provocative art project that resulted in her facing pornography charges and she suffered severe bullying, especially for her relationship with Muslim Samir. In this new verse novel, Ella and Samir start sleeping together on the sly, and she is also cultivating a relationship with David. Each boy brings a family drama of his own, which Ella laments in a poem about the burden of dealing not only with your own difficult emotions but those of boys as well. Knowledge of the first book helps to get a clear picture of the main characters and the unresolved situations, including Ella’s mother’s bulimia and Ella’s extreme reaction to being abandoned by a group of girls. However, there are enough pieces doled out to make adequate inferences regarding plot and Ella’s character arc, and the slyly funny epiphany that prompts Ella to aggressively forgive her former tormentor will resonate with readers. The poetry is accessible and refreshingly varied, capturing the many moods of Ella as well as the voice of Marika, her astute disabled friend, and the secondary characters are well drawn enough to be participants in Ella’s life rather than mere props. Readers who enjoy this will want to pick up the first one as well. Copyright © 2017 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois