My Fairy God Somebody

September 16, 2024
Sixteen-year-old Clae Mitchell is excited for her internship with a prestigious summer journalism program in New York City. Not only will the position help her get a leg up in her future career, it also provides the resources to delve into the mystery surrounding the “deadbeat dad” she’s never met, whom her mother refuses to talk about. All she knows is someone, who she assumes is related to her father, has been acting as her “fairy god somebody” and providing her mother with financial help. In New York, Clae tracks down her mystery benefactor, only to realize there’s more to her family history than she expected. Meanwhile, she helps her new friends navigate their own challenges: 18-year-old Joelle is planning her upcoming wedding while keeping it a surprise from her parents, and 17-year-old Nze plans to complete a bucket list before she loses her eyesight due to glaucoma. Though Allen (Play the Game) packs this lively and heartfelt story with a few too many plotlines, the relatable characters and Clae’s search for the family she’s never known drive this entertaining piece that explores concepts surrounding Black Freedom Schools and the importance of journalism. Ages 13–up.

Starred review from October 15, 2024
A teenage girl begins a journey of radical self-discovery as she investigates her family history. McCauley "Clae" Mitchell has always felt like a part of her was missing. Raised in the predominantly white town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, by a single mom, Clae has many questions about her estranged dad that her mom has repeatedly dismissed. Before Clae's uncle Wendell passes away, he gives Clae a class ring that belonged to her dad. The ring, inscribed with the name of the New York City high school he attended in the early 2000s, is the first clue to solving a perplexing mystery. The second is the Brooklyn address of an unknown benefactor who's been sending money to her mom for years--a person Clae believes is a paternal relative. When she earns a scholarship to a top summer journalism program, she trades New England for the Big Apple, and with the help of new friends Joelle and Nze, who form the rest of "the Black girl contingent," she slowly but surely uncovers the truth. Allen's sophomore novel effectively captures Clae's turbulent inner struggles, particularly her thorny feelings about her persistent longing for genuine kinship and community. The first-person narrative features spots of wholesome summer romance, but realistic themes of friendship, complicated relationships, and grief take center stage. A richly drawn story that explores the precarious construction of identity and the pain of complex family dynamics.(Fiction. 13-18)

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November 1, 2024
Grades 9-11 Clae has never felt like her family was complete since her father left the picture. When mysterious letters appear promising a link to the missing parts, she jumps at the chance and heads to New York City under the guise of a summer journalism program. But even with new friends Nze, who's struggling with increasing disability, and Joelle, who's contending with a difficult family situation of her own, the mystery of Clae's family is bigger than the sum of its parts. Allen (Play the Game, 2023) packs an intricate plot into tight prose, offering an engaging story for readers who want to see characters find themselves (and then some) amid complex families and real-life challenges. Clae's burgeoning independence in the city creates a solid foundation for this coming-of-age story and increases its appeal for readers of a similar age. Suggest to readers who enjoyed Robin Benway's Far from the Tree (2017) and other relationship-driven YA dramedies involving family saga twists, a strong sense of place, and the importance of friendship--even when it's complicated.

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