With Dear Rachel Maddow, Adrienne Kisner has written a coming of age story that depicts the many aspects of high school teens struggle with today. Brynn Harper is a lesbian, let’s get that out of the way. The story isn’t about grappling with sexuality, or coming out of a closet. Brynn’s out, except with her mom, who probably wouldn’t notice anyway. Being gay is the least of her worries at this point. Instead, our spunky heroine is dealing with enough other issues to keep her busy, in a funk, and ultimately making some bad life choices. Brynn’s one constant throughout the story is her epistolary conversation through email drafts with Rachel Maddow, TV pundit. Brynn’s misery pours out through this one-sided correspondence, although her grit and determination shine through as well.

 

Brynn

 

Failing grades land Brynn in the Blue Room, a remedial basement lair where struggling students are banished. Fortunately she is surrounded by good souls, most of all senior Lacey, who mentors the students in need of academic assistance.  Mr. Grimm, low-key but good-hearted remedial teacher, tasks students to write their celebrity hero. Brynn writes Rachel Maddow, mainly to aggravate her mother. Surprisingly, she receives a response from the news channel celebrity and feels compelled to continue the correspondence, even if in email draft form. This email folder becomes the story of Brynn. In short angry bursts or long pensive missives her writing reveals the tragedy of her brother’s overdose and the disintegration of her family.  Fart Weasel, her step-father, is determined to make her life even more miserable. And that’s just her home life.

At school, Brynn is now a resident of the Blue Room, after a precipitous drop in GPA after her brother’s death. Her one interest, the school newspaper, is no longer an option due to the low GPA. Top all that with the first heartbreak of teen love. Things look bleak.

 

The Cast of the Blue Room

 

Lacey, peer mentor and senior, is Brynn’s friend and provides support throughout the story. Lacey uses a wheel chair and voice board to communicate. Don’t feel sorry for her. As she says, she is no braver than anyone else, she just can’t do stairs. Greg, Lance, Riley and Bianca round out the junior crew of the Blue Room team. Justin, who is Brynn’s best friend on the school newspaper, is not a basement dweller of the Blue Room variety. He spends his time with Brynn trying to get her motivated to come back to investigative reporting. Specifically, a fire that burned down the town War Memorial appears suspicious. Ultimately this fire is the undoing of resident BMOC, Adam.

 

 

 

Other Players

 

Sarah, Brynn’s former girlfriend still plays a large role in this story. She’s not a nice person. Brynn just doesn’t come to understand that until the very end. Adam is also a piece of work, with an agenda that is centered on…Adam. Brynn’s mother has effectively abandoned her to pursue the new marriage and firmly establish new loyalties. Her guilt at Brynn’s brother Nick’s death seems to manifest itself through attacks on Brynn. Leigh and Erin, friends of Nick, offer Brynn support and a place to stay as her home life continues to disintegrate. Last but not least is Michaela, new girl with a past whose relationship with Brynn ignites.

 

Opinion

 

Brynn has grit, and even as her world is falling apart she can still rail against injustices and follow her compunction to stand up for others. She’s a classic underdog, with a salty attitude and foul mouth, but just so determined one can’t help but cheer for her.  Any reader past high school knows it can get better, if only Brynn sees that too. In her fight for basic fairness and representation of all the Blue Room and other outsiders, she gets knocked down one more time, and spirals out of control. Does she ultimately get her act together? Who wins? The status quo or the blue room champion? What counts as winning anyway? No spoilers given here!

A free digital, uncorrected Advance Reader Copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. Thanks to NetGalley!

Dear Rachel Maddow is available in hard cover on June 5, 2018.