The Sharp Time

Gr 10 Up—Eighteen-year-old Sandinista Jones, whose mother named her after an album by the legendary punk band, the Clash, believes that no one cares about her. Her angry-at-the-world attitude comes from a place of deep pain: she doesn't know her father and just lost her mother in a car accident. In a few places, the author portrays Sandinista's grief vividly with writing that mixes her nightmares and daydreams with reality, but overall the thin plot rests on the teen's desire for violent revenge against a nasty math teacher (and there's graphic language throughout). Throw in ADD and a weight of 105 pounds, and you have a character with too many problems to be believable. Fortunately, her job at a vintage store and love of yesterday's fashions enable Sandinista to enjoy a passion she shared with her mother, softening the hurt a little. That and her friendship with coworker Bradley leave her at novel's end with some hope, and perhaps a touch of sympathy from readers.—Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY