Between Mom and Jo (review)

Fourteen-year-old Nick has known since he was young that his parents weren't like other parents; he has also always known that he cannot imagine life without both of his moms. His birth mother, Erin, is consistent and reliable, while Jo is a wild playmate whose fierce protectiveness both embarrasses and comforts Nick. Nick's early childhood plays out through brief vignettes, interspersed with teenaged Nick's commentary, showing the family struggling with homophobia, cancer, and alcoholism while trying to stay together as best they can. Unfortunately, Nick is now caught in the middle of a painful, vitriolic break-up between his moms, and Jo has no legal claim to remain in his life after their relationship dissolves. Nick's palpable agony is powerful and realistic as he disconsolately settles into life without Jo and tries to quell his growing rage toward Erin, who has moved on with a new girlfriend. While the happy ending is a bit too neat, it is also not unimaginable given the strong foundation built up between the protagonists in the early chapters. Despite the problem-novel terrain, Nick is a complex and realistic teen; he obsesses about girls and evinces believable selfishness in the face of his family drama, and his narration is credible in its occasional gracelessness. The focus on Nick's perspective results in a novel suitable for readers seeking a coming of age or divorce story as much as those seeking a story about tolerance, diversity, and gay themes.