The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower, and: Runemarks (review)

Initially, Indigo's fortunes are modest but reasonably satisfying; she has a boyfriend she loves, a waitressing job she finds so gratifying that she'd rather do that than head on to college after graduation, and a warm if quirky family. Change arrives with shocking suddenness, however, when a patron at Indigo's restaurant, motivated by her advice to flee the corporate world for something he'll genuinely enjoy, leaves her a big tip. A really, really big tip. A $2.5 million tip. After overcoming her initial reservations about keeping the money, Indigo struggles to sort out not only her options but also her obligations. Caletti is a superlative stylist, and as usual her real achievement lies in the creation of voice and world: Indigo is sympathetic but realistically flawed, guarded against the changes she expects the money to bring but vulnerable to surprise challenges (her self-righteous streak flourishes with the new financial protection, and she's forced to spend a considerable amount of time responding to the questions and concerns of family and friends). Though characterization skews somewhat, with some of the haves portrayed reductively while the have-nots are sympathetic and vivid, the cast is a memorable collection, with Indigo's family especially effective in their believable individuality. Aside from the straightforward financial issues, the book subtly explores questions of class and power ("Money . . . Take it from me, someone who didn't have it and then did, you feel different when you've got it. You've got rights. You've got a voice"). Teens who are looking for a counteractant to the unreflectively moneyed pleasures of the Gossip Girls and their ilk will find rich food for thought here.