When We Were Good
Publisher
Sumach Press
Publication Year
2013
ISBN
9781927513118
Pages
227 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
The year 2000 isn't starting out too well for Toronto high school senior Katherine Boatman. Not only has her oldest friend ditched her for yet another boyfriend, her beloved grandmother died on New Year's Eve, leaving a void of goodness in her life that Katherine's not sure how to fill. While overwhelmed with sadness and self-doubt, Katherine unexpectedly finds new love, both for Toronto's underground music scene and for her would-be savior: a straight-edge, loudmouthed misfit named Marie.
Grade Level
9-12
Lexile Measure
HL820L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Family member death; Gay/Lesbian; death of a grandmother; death of a grandparent; lesbian; lesbian teenager; same sex relationship
Main Character
female teenager
Race/Ethnicities
White
Family Formation
mother and father
LGBTQ+
lesbian female
Awards
Rainbow List, 2014 Teen Fiction
Keywords
Toronto; New Year's Eve; absent parents; sad/depressed; art; self-image issues
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Sutherland, Suzanne, "When We Were Good" (2013). Diverse Families. 1438.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1438