Every kid dreams of happily-ever-after. . .until her world is turned upside down. . .
At sixteen, gifted pianist and poet Nia Daniels has already known her share of heartache. But despite the pain of losing her mother and grandmother, she's managed to excel, thanks to her beloved father's love and support. He's held her through every tragedy, and cheered her on through every performance. Nia can't imagine what she'd do without him--until an illness suddenly takes him, and she has no choice. And Nia's in for one more shocking blow. The man who'd always been her rock, her constant, wasn't her biological dad.
Orphaned and confused, Nia is desperate for answers. But what she finds will uproot her from the life she's always known in California and bring her to the east coast--to Omar. He's a man who's spent most of his life--and all of Nia's--behind bars. He's her biological father. An ex-gang member. Living in the hood. And he's determined to do whatever it takes to win the love of his only daughter and make up for his mistakes. If only she'll let him...
From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—Even though Nia Daniels lost her mother when she was young, she still has her beloved father to support her. She lives a blessed life in Long Beach, CA, where she goes to high school and writes poetry. That is, until her daddy dies suddenly and she discovers that he isn't her real father. Her biological father has been in prison the last 16 years and is ready to have her in his life again. When she is sent to live with him for the summer in the New Jersey projects, it's a jarring experience. This book contains a lot of slang, and supporting characters engage in a number of sexual encounters. The lingo is easy to understand most of the time, and Nia herself has to acclimate to her new environment and the vernacular that it requires. The N-word is never uttered but is suggested and replaced with other terms. Drug use is present throughout. The work authentically portrays the tragedy of losing a cherished parent and how a teen copes with such an event. Some plotlines could have been wrapped up more effectively, but overall this title is unputdownable. The poetry written by Nia is particularly wonderful. VERDICT A fantastic example of YA urban fiction with a sympathetic character. Purchase for all realistic fiction collections.—Kristin Anderson, Bloomingdale Public Library, IL
Review
Praise for the novels of Amir Abrams
"Abrams again tantalizes us, getting into the mind-set of the young, gifted, and beautiful." -- RT Book Reviews on The Girl of His Dreams
"Hot and poppin' with drama and life lessons. The world of teen lit has never seen anything like this before!" --Ni-Ni Simone on Crazy Love
"An engaging cautionary tale." -- Kirkus Reviews on Caught Up
About the Author
Amir Abrams is a regular dude with a dream. Born in Brooklyn, Amir has a thing for fresh kicks, fly whips, and all things Polo. For Amir, writing teen fiction was never something he imagined himself doing until he started working with Ni-Ni Simone on the Hollywood High series. In addition to the Hollywood High series, he also penned Crazy Love, The Girl of His Dreams, Caught Up , and Diva Rules. You can hit him up at amir_abrams@yahoo.com, on Facebook at itsyaboyamir, or follow him on Twitter @ItsyaboyAmir.
Description:
Every kid dreams of happily-ever-after. . .until her world is turned upside down. . .
At sixteen, gifted pianist and poet Nia Daniels has already known her share of heartache. But despite the pain of losing her mother and grandmother, she's managed to excel, thanks to her beloved father's love and support. He's held her through every tragedy, and cheered her on through every performance. Nia can't imagine what she'd do without him--until an illness suddenly takes him, and she has no choice. And Nia's in for one more shocking blow. The man who'd always been her rock, her constant, wasn't her biological dad.
Orphaned and confused, Nia is desperate for answers. But what she finds will uproot her from the life she's always known in California and bring her to the east coast--to Omar. He's a man who's spent most of his life--and all of Nia's--behind bars. He's her biological father. An ex-gang member. Living in the hood. And he's determined to do whatever it takes to win the love of his only daughter and make up for his mistakes. If only she'll let him...
From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—Even though Nia Daniels lost her mother when she was young, she still has her beloved father to support her. She lives a blessed life in Long Beach, CA, where she goes to high school and writes poetry. That is, until her daddy dies suddenly and she discovers that he isn't her real father. Her biological father has been in prison the last 16 years and is ready to have her in his life again. When she is sent to live with him for the summer in the New Jersey projects, it's a jarring experience. This book contains a lot of slang, and supporting characters engage in a number of sexual encounters. The lingo is easy to understand most of the time, and Nia herself has to acclimate to her new environment and the vernacular that it requires. The N-word is never uttered but is suggested and replaced with other terms. Drug use is present throughout. The work authentically portrays the tragedy of losing a cherished parent and how a teen copes with such an event. Some plotlines could have been wrapped up more effectively, but overall this title is unputdownable. The poetry written by Nia is particularly wonderful. VERDICT A fantastic example of YA urban fiction with a sympathetic character. Purchase for all realistic fiction collections.—Kristin Anderson, Bloomingdale Public Library, IL
Review
Praise for the novels of Amir Abrams
"Abrams again tantalizes us, getting into the mind-set of the young, gifted, and beautiful." -- RT Book Reviews on The Girl of His Dreams
"Hot and poppin' with drama and life lessons. The world of teen lit has never seen anything like this before!" --Ni-Ni Simone on Crazy Love
"An engaging cautionary tale." -- Kirkus Reviews on Caught Up
About the Author
Amir Abrams is a regular dude with a dream. Born in Brooklyn, Amir has a thing for fresh kicks, fly whips, and all things Polo. For Amir, writing teen fiction was never something he imagined himself doing until he started working with Ni-Ni Simone on the Hollywood High series. In addition to the Hollywood High series, he also penned Crazy Love, The Girl of His Dreams, Caught Up , and Diva Rules. You can hit him up at amir_abrams@yahoo.com, on Facebook at itsyaboyamir, or follow him on Twitter @ItsyaboyAmir.