Eleven and Holding by Mary Penney (review)

Macy’s dad has been gone for months, off on some secret work after being discharged from the Marines, but Macy refuses, absolutely refuses to turn twelve unless he’s there for her birthday. None of the adults is giving up any info on Dad’s whereabouts, so Macy has taken matters into her own hands and bought a bus ticket to Los Robles, the last place she heard from him. In the meantime, she gets caught up in a different kind of search with a woman named Ginger, and she finds a friend in a runaway on his own quest. Macy’s voice has a biting edge to it, and her fury at her mother, whom she believes is keeping her father away from the family, is palpable. Not one to budge on anything, Macy’s unlikely to acknowledge the signs that her dad, a man she idolizes, was perhaps hurting people with his erratic behavior. It’s clear, however, that this is a girl whose foundation has been rocked to the core with the recent changes in her life, and she’s clinging to the idea of one person she loves while tossing emotional bombs at the actual people around who love her. Ginger and Stitch, the runaway, act as foils to Macy’s flailing approach at grief as they each have their own heartbreak to deal with. Macy’s final realization about her father is a tearjerker for sure, so be ready to hand out the tissues.