Finding Yvonne
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Brandy Colbert |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
Publication date | August 7, 2018 |
| Pages | 276 |
| ISBN | 9780316349055 |
Finding Yvonne is a 2018 young adult novel by Brandy Colbert. The novel is about a privileged teenager deciding what to do with her future as she chooses between various life paths in her future career, family, and romantic relationships.
Plot[edit]
Finding Yvonne follows Yvonne, a high school senior living in Los Angeles who lives with her single father, a high-end chef. Although she has considered herself a violinist since her childhood, the identity is slipping away from her as she must choose between attending a music conservancy to become a professional musician or select an unknown career path. She also misses her mother, who left her family when Yvonne was young, and struggles to choose between two love interests.
Reception[edit]
On behalf of School Library Journal, Francisca Goldsmith wrote that Finding Yvonne "seems underdeveloped" and "lack[s] the spark of energy of Little & Lion", which Colbert had published in 2017. Goldsmith explains, "The story is littered with only partially realized, and thus frustrating, symbolism and less-than-credible turns. By the end of the novel, readers will understand that Yvonne's father is depressed, but it takes a long time to get to that realization [...] The nuances of passing and racial erasure in the contemporary African American community is one area handled here with grace and cogency".[1]
Conversely, Publishers Weekly argued that "Colbert [...] delivers another emotionally layered story". They indicated that "Yvonne’s character is steady and compelling" and that "Colbert shows a clear knack for secondary characters".[2]
Deborah Stevenson, writing for The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, similarly highlighted how Colbert "credibly constructs a young Black woman negotiating complicated family dynamics" and called Yvonne "a compelling protagonist" who will "speak to readers thrown by the lack of certainty in their own futures".[3]
Booklist also reviewed the novel.[4]
Awards and honors[edit]
Finding Yvonne is a Junior Library Guild book.[5]
In 2018, the New York Public Library named Finding Yvonne one of the year's best books for teens,[5] and the audiobook received an Earphone Award from AudioFile.[6] The following year, it was a CCBC Choices[5] and Amelia Bloomer Book List selection.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ Goldsmith, Francisca (May 1, 2018). "Finding Yvonne". School Library Journal. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ "Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert". Publishers Weekly. June 4, 2018. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ Stevenson, Deborah (2018). "Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 71 (11): 467. doi:10.1353/bcc.2018.0483. ISSN 1558-6766 – via Project MUSE.
- ^ "Finding Yvonne". Booklist. May 1, 2018. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Finding Yvonne". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ "FINDING YVONNE by Brandy Colbert Read by Maya Burton | Audiobook Review". AudioFile Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
- ^ "Finding Yvonne | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. 2019-03-01. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved December 12, 2023.