The Other F-Word

Reviewed by: Elizabeth Andersen - Westbrook High School, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 18, 2017

Review

Milo and Hollis met once when they were in second grade. They are bonded together by a father they have never met: sperm donor #9677. Although, Hollis does not like to think about being a “lab experiment”, Milo thinks about it all the time. He reconnects with Hollis seven years later to let her know that he has been on “The Donor Progeny Project” and he has found out that they have siblings. Together, Hollis and Milo connect with their siblings and after much research and discussion, they all decide to make contact with their sperm donor who had indicated that he was open to future contact. The rest of the story is full of discovery for Milo and Hollis, the dual narrators. The other three siblings are very tangential to the story, but this is not a serious flaw. Authentic dialogue, a well-paced plot, and genuine emotion without melodrama will appeal to many readers. This book should be part of every collection serving YA. Diverse family situations become more common every day and teens will appreciate seeing all types of families represented in their literature.

Overall Book Score: very good