Una LaMarche

Interracial half-siblings come together for the first time and embark on a cross-country road trip to confront their absentee father before he dies.

Don't Fail Me Now

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

Michelle, Cass and Denny find themselves in a sticky situation when their mother ends up in prison. The three of them are placed in a home where they are less than welcome, given many rules, and are even forced to pay rent. When Michelle learns that their biological father, who left them at a very young age, is dying, she takes it upon herself to contact their half-sister, Leah, who she’s never met. Together, along with Leah’s stepbrother, Tim, the group decides to take a cross-country road trip to find their father and say their peace before his passing. This group of teens, who have basically nothing in common, except for the grudges they hold, set off to find the man who did them wrong. Leah is hoping for closure, while Michelle just wants to give him her two cents. They have next to no money, are living on any free food they can find, driving in a beat-up old car, and dealing with the lowest level of poverty they have ever encountered. Will they make it to California before it’s too late?

Don’t Fail Me Now was a touching story of inner growth and relationships. Don’t be fooled by the description… it’s not as light and fun as it sounds. This was a deep, thought-provoking, and emotional read. We are shown a group of kids living on the poverty line in Baltimore with a mother who has substance abuse issues and is sent to jail. A father who abandoned his children, never looking back. Race is also very prevalent in this story. Michelle, Cass and Denny are all African-American, while Leah and Tim are Caucasian. Health concerns/issues were also addressed in a very real and emotional way.

My main complaint was how this story addressed serious issues, but only on the surface and didn’t dive deep enough into them to really satisfy me. The major instance of this was dealing with race and the white privileged. It was mentioned, but not addressed thoroughly. I would have liked to have seen the story go deeper into the issues, rather than just skimming the surface, for both race and social class.

The pacing of the story was overall okay, but I honestly felt a little bored during the middle of the story. I thought the beginning and end surpassed the middle by far. The middle lacked a lot, felt almost dragging, yet not addressing anything substantially. I guess I just wanted more after a strong beginning.

Regardless of my few issues, I did really like this book. I liked the strong focus on family. Though the parental involvement wasn’t all too present, the sibling relationships were a large part of this story. The impact the family’s actions had on each other, the way they all stuck together even through the toughest of times, and the amount of love and attention Michelle put into her family, whether it was intentional or forced, was enlightening. It wasn’t all positive though. This story had a lot of sadness, anger, and regret. It packed a punch to the gut. Another great book to add to the diversity catalog that appears to be quickly growing… finally! (Yay for diversity!!)

Audiobook Impressions:
This is my first glimpse into Adenrele Ojo’s narration. She has 20+ books under her belt, yet I believe this is the only YA book she’s narrated. Either way, I really enjoyed her as the narrator. She was a perfect Michelle, for starters. I did think she did a pretty good job performing all the characters, but Michelle was definitely the most striking. This audiobook was short and a very quick listen. I’d definitely recommend the audio of this book.

(Thanks to Listening Library for the review copy!)

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Don't Fail Me Now

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