HIGH
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Regal House Publishing LLC
Published:25th Oct '21
Should be back in stock very soon
![HIGH cover](https://cdn.theportobellobookshop.com/img/9781646031702.jpg)
It is impossible not to root for Ceti, almost fifteen, who tells her story of growing up in shelters, learning soccer from her Gramps, and sleeping in her Mom’s red truck where they listened over and over to Rolling Stones discs someone left behind. Following in the steps of her hero, Lionel Messi, Ceti is a shooting star on the field. A U.S. scout is coming to watch her play in the State Championship; she has Ruby, her best friend since kindergarten rooting for her, and a crush on a boy who lives in her building, Will. But at home, she’ll find a spoon in the sink, a ball of tin foil and a needle in the trash. Her Mom, who used to be beautiful with her long honey hair and green eyes is now wasted and track-marked. And she is pregnant. Ceti’s life goes up and down with a mother who wants only the next high. Her Mom’s menacing and goofy boyfriend Foxface is always hounding Ceti; their junky friends start a fire in Ceti’s apartment; and on the day of the semifinals, Ceti finds her Mom bleeding profusely. She steals a new iPhone for her Mom but is caught and disqualified from playing in the Championship game. Then Ruby decides on private school for next year, and Will stops hanging out with Ceti. When her Mom promises they can start over in New Hampshire, Ceti is hopeful. Instead, she finds her Mom has overdosed. Ceti, too, would be one more dream slipping away if she didn’t have the courage to hold on to what she loves the most.
"I love this book. In gorgeous, compelling verse, High tells the story of fourteen-year old Ceti's struggle to soar even as she lives through her mother's life-threatening addiction. Mary Sullivan has written a beautiful, heartfelt bookI couldn't put it down." -- Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers
"Vivid realism reaches impressive heights in this novel in verse." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Told in verse, Sullivan captures the realistic banter between Will and Ceti as they debate their favorite soccer stars, the starkly descriptive images of her mom's drug paraphernalia, and the desperate pressures this young woman feels. Her coach and other adults prove the saying "It takes a village," helping Ceti's story end hopefully. This will appeal to those who appreciate stories that don't pull any punches." -- Booklist
ISBN: 9781646031702
Dimensions: 215mm x 139mm x 15mm
Weight: 281g
228 pages