The Heartbeats of Wing Jones

Gr 8 Up—Set in 1990s Atlanta, this realistic coming-of-age novel, touched with magical realism, is full of diverse and strong female characters. Bullied for her looks, Wing Jones, who is half-Chinese and half-black, doesn't stand out like her golden-boy brother, Marcus, a football star. After a night of drinking, though, Marcus causes a car accident that kills two people and leaves him in a coma. Unable to sleep as she worries about Marcus and her life on the brink of poverty, particularly after Marcus's medical bills start arriving, Wing begins to find escape by running at night. Aaron, Marcus's best friend and Wing's longtime crush, is also a runner, and after he discovers Wing's new pursuit, he encourages her to join the school's track team. Running gives her the courage to embrace herself, and she is finally able to step out of her brother's shadow and feel acceptance and accomplishment. Wing's heartbreaking family backstory is revealed early on and explains why her father is not in the picture. Living with her mother and both grandmothers, Wing is surrounded by female role models with take-charge attitudes. Written in Wing's believable first-person voice, the novel conveys the teen's perspective of the changing world around her as the plot moves quickly along. Recommend this to fans of Jandy Nelson's and Stephanie Perkins's books.