Review: THE FIRST PART LAST by Angela Johnson

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. 2003. The First Part Last. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689849222.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Bobby is a typical teenaged city boy. His life revolves around hanging out with the guys, cutting school to go to the movies, and being with his girlfriend. All of that comes to a screeching halt when his girlfriend, Nia, informs him, on his sixteenth birthday, that she is pregnant. Now Bobby’s whole life is changing and he is faced with very real, very grown-up realities like adoption, college, and a job. As the events unfold, he must make choices that will impact not only his life but the lives of those he cares about most.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The book is organized into short chapter which alternate between the end of the story and the beginning of the story. As the reader nears the end of the book, the beginning and the end come together to tell the whole story. The book is quite poignant in its telling of the moving story of a boy forced to become a man when he is faced with adult consequences to his actions. Johnson’s portrayal of Bobby’s mother as a uncompromising authority provides an alternative view in which this young man finds out that in some cases Mom cannot make everything “all better” and it is now up to him. The sensitivity with which Bobby interacts with his newborn daughter shows the softer side of a “boy from the streets” providing the reader heart-warming moments rivaled only by the visit to Nia toward the end of the book and how Bobby tells Feather about the visit.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Coretta Scott King Award
Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature KIRKUS review: “By narrating from a realistic first-person voice, Johnson manages to convey a story that is always complex, never preachy… It's the tale of one young man and his choices, which many young readers will appreciate and enjoy.
KLIATT review: “Johnson has a way of getting to her readers' emotions with few words, creating characters we really care about. Her young people are thoughtful, conscientious, and loving—certainly with failings, but trying to do better.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*With its many controversial issues, this book will definitely spark some discussion in the classroom. It brings to light many teenage relationships such as parent-child, girlfriend-boyfriend, boyfriend-girlfriend’s parents, friend-friend, brother-brother as well as others. All of these can be incorporated into some meaningful discussions in addition to others inspired by the book.
*Challenge students to continue Bobby’s story. How will things work out for him now that he has decided to move? What does the future hold for him?