The Vow

Gr 9 Up—Mo and Annie have been friends since fifth grade. Living in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, hasn't been easy for Mo (aka Mohammed Ibrahim Hussein), who has battled racism for years, or for Annie, who is still coping with her older sister's kidnapping and murder. The pair have found solace from the outside world in each other. About to begin their junior year, the teens find out that Mo's family is in danger of being deported back to Jordan because of his father's recent unemployment. In order to keep her best friend in the U.S., Annie decides to marry him. They keep it a secret as long as they can, but things blow up in their faces. Through this heartfelt, yet misguided, ploy, they sacrifice the best of themselves—including Annie's chance at happiness with a new boy, Reed. Told in alternating chapters, the story seamlessly switches points of view without interrupting the fast pace. This is a novel about family, friendship, love, and sacrifice that will have readers rooting for the narrators as they try to save their relationship and navigate through very real and current issues.—Jeni Tahaney, Duncanville High School Library, TX