There is something not quite right about teenage mother Jules from the beginning of George Ella Lyon’s novel. It’s not just that her life—working in a factory while trying to raise her baby—is such a challenge, it’s also that she thinks of her baby daughter, Zoe, as “the answer to everything.” Jules feels so needy, and somewhat nebulous, in a way that is unsettling. A few chapters in, Lyon blows the plot wide open with a revelation that transforms this from a tale of teen pregnancy and parenting to one about the emotional and psychological trauma of abuse. Jules is delusional, and her journey through psychosis is both compelling and deeply disturbing as she struggles to come to terms with her past and, with help, realizes that there are people in the real world who love and care about her. (Age 13 and older)

After sixteen-year-old Jules has her baby, Zoe, it doesn't matter anymore that her mother thinks she's a drama queen, or that her father left them years ago, or even that Zoe's father is gone, too. She and her baby make a family now; she doesn't need anyone else in the world except Zoe.Though it's tough being a new mom, balancing Zoe's needs with working at the Toyota factory and thinking about how to finish school, Jules is sure she'll figure it out. Still, she wonders, why can't anyone be happy for her and Zoe? And why does her mom refuse to believe that Zoe's real?