Three Things About Emmy Crawford

September 1, 2024
A senator's daughter struggles with perfectionism amid familial, academic, and romantic tensions. For Emmy Crawford, "being mediocre isn't an option." With unscrupulous paparazzi on the prowl, 17-year-old Emmy and her sisters, 16-year-old Issy and 9-year-old Lucy, can't risk any behavior that might jeopardize Mom's presidential campaign. But Emmy's got everything under control: She's determined to protect her beloved Issy (who deals with anxiety from headlines such as "State Senator's Daughter Mentally Ill: If Crawford Can't Help Her Own Child, How Can We Expect Her to Help the Nation?") and win nationals in debate, burnishing her family's reputation. Emmy has no time for weakness--including her Crohn's disease, which she stubbornly ignores, lying about not following her doctor's treatment protocols. But when Gabriel Castillo, the handsome debate opponent who vanished after she shared a vulnerable moment, returns, Emmy's defenses against romantic distractions weaken. Complicating matters, Issy appears to be crushing on Gabe. As misunderstandings mount and her health worsens, Emmy realizes that she's losing control--and she risks losing her relationship with Issy, too. Bitz, who has Crohn's and anxiety herself, sympathetically portrays both. Readers struggling with anxiety will find Issy's growing self-confidence particularly empowering. Emmy's gradual self-awareness is satisfying but hard-won; realistically, the consequences of her actions are not instantly resolved. Additionally, the author examines such issues as health care disparities and parental mental illness. Emmy and her family present white; Gabe is Mexican American. An honest exploration of trust, family, and self-care. (author's note, resources)(Fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 In a medically personal novel, Bitz takes readers to Washington, DC, where Emmy Crawford's image-conscious family hopes to obtain the White House. Emmy constantly dodges paparazzi as a senator's daughter, though she's more concerned with her debate performance and living around her disruptive Crohn's disease--and Gabe, former debate rival and current (secret) ex. Emmy's world becomes even more complicated when her sister gets eyes for Gabe and suddenly he's back in Emmy's life. Stress abounding, it's no wonder her Crohn's disease is demanding attention. With a fun take on life as a politician's child, Bitz introduces Emmy as a complex character who doesn't always make the right choices, spurring interesting character development that is equally, satisfyingly mirrored in other characters and their flaws. Hand to readers seeking chronic illness and disability stories in the vein of Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal (2024), by Gretchen Schreiber, with a romantic heart blooming from different shades of shared struggles akin to Laura Taylor Namey's A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow (2020).

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 18, 2024

Gr 8 Up-A passionate story about access to healthcare, mental illness and invisible illness, perfectionism, and coming of age in the spotlight. Emmy is a high school senior and a senator's daughter living in Washington, D.C. Her mother is a presidential nominee, and her family is a paparazzi favorite. She thinks nothing can get in the way of her goals; not Crohn's disease, heartbreak, or negative media attention. This book has phenomenal representation of chronic illness with Emmy's disease, her sister's anxiety, and former fling Gabriel's experiences with his mother's schizophrenia, as well as an exploration of equal access to health care. There is a positive representation of therapy and family support. The discussion of these topics comes through the plot in a very natural way as the author uses the debate team as a tool to incorporate background information. Bitz writes from her own experiences with Crohn's and anxiety as shared in the author's note. Fans of contemporary fiction will find this coming-of-age book relatable, and those with chronic and invisible illnesses will see themselves in the characters. VERDICT A timely novel for election season and a great pairing for Chronically Dolores by Maya Van Wagenen.-Taylor Skorski

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.