Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always

Faced with an English assignment to sing herself à la Whitman, 17-year-old Cass Randall can’t find much to sing about. Bent on finding something that’s all hers, she hits on Tarot cards, even though her family’s religion condemns them, and starts an anonymous Tarot-based advice column. Hoole (Kiss the Morning Star) takes up the perennial problem of a teen figuring herself out and loads her story with plot. Cass’s older brother is gay and thinking about coming out; a sad sack from her church group wants to be friends; Cass can no longer ignore the distance between her and her best friend; and a nice guy in English class seems to like her—a rare bright spot for her. Amid a storm of bullying and small acts of cowardice and denial, Cass finds bravery and a sense of who she is. The messages—that bullying has real costs, that bystanders aren’t innocent, and that you have to be yourself—are familiar, and this, combined with all the setup the plot requires, keeps the book from catching fire. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency. (Nov.)