On the Come Up: A Novel, Based on a True Story
Her dreams focused on rapping and boys, 13-year-old AnneMarie Walker is much like the other girls from Queens, New York, except that she and her boyfriend are already starting a family. For a time, it’s the life she’s sure she wants. Then, while attending a high school for pregnant girls, she lands a lead role in an indie film, and a whole new world opens up for her. When her relationship becomes abusive, and she is faced with the reality of raising her daughter alone, she grows uncertain about her choices and finds herself rearranging her beliefs about love and stability. Telling her story in halting street language, AnneMarie is a tenacious and lovable character. It is easy to root for her as she gropes and stumbles her way through the lessons of life without the benefit of role models or money, and the conclusions she comes to are surprisingly pertinent for all. Fans of Sapphire’s Push (1996) will especially appreciate the honesty and realism of filmmaker and first-novelist Weyer’s writing. --Cortney Ophoff