This award winning book is about Bobby, a teenager living in New York City, whose life changes completely on his 16th birthday when his girlfriend, Nia, tells him she is pregnant with his child.
The story is written in a “then” and “now” format, telling the story from Bobby’s point of view as he cares for his daughter, Feather, and as he remembers the events that have led him to this point in his young life as a parent. Throughout the story, Bobby appears to be a single parent with limited help from his mom, dad, and friends while Nia is only mentioned in the “then” sections until the end.
I really enjoyed this book and felt the author did a great job portraying Bobby as a young dad taking responsibility for his daughter as best he can, but also feeling overwhelmed and exhausted as I believe every new parent does, regardless of their age. Bobby makes some mistakes and poor choices along the way, but at the same time he never blames Feather for the position he is in. He definitely works hard to be “a man” and the love he feels for his daughter is obvious and absolute. Although it was a very short read, the characters drew me in right away and I became emotionally involved almost from the first paragraph. I would recommend this to LHS students and believe it would be very good for anyone looking for a short, interesting read.
Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. Print.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range: 12 and up
Keywords: Coretta Scott King Award, Printz Award, teen pregnancy, teen father, New York City, high school, friendship, love, teen parenting, graffiti.
Lopez High Library Call Number: FIC JOH |
