Johnson, Angela. 2003. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York, NY. Simon Pulse. ISBN 9780689849220
Plot Summary
Bobby and his girlfriend get pregnant while in high school and have to deal with the consequences. They stay together throughout the pregnancy supporting one another and deciding together that they will place the baby up for adoption. Nia suffers complications of her pregnancy becomes brain dead during/after delivery of the baby, Feather. Bobby then decides to keep the baby as she is all he has left of Nia, who is now in a long-term care facility.
Critical Analysis
Johnson wrote this story in parts, however I don't understand how the first part unless Johnson is intending the "first part" to be the birth of Feather. However, wouldn't the first part be Nia getting pregnant or Nia and Bobby getting together? The story is told in short sections titled, "Now" and "Then." The "now" refers to present day where Bobby is taking care of Feather basically on his own and the "then" refers to the time that Nia is pregnant. The dialogue and Bobby's thoughts are true to life and show the heart-wrenching consequences of teen pregnancy. Throughout the story, the reader is kept in suspense about where Nia is during the "Now" sections; Hale lets your imagination run as Nia is brought up a few times and Bobby gives few hints. The ending is somewhat expected, but still a shock to the system as we find out that Nia is still alive but in a vegetative state in some hospital far away, a frightening consequence of teen pregnancy. Bobby's character either does not understand what Nia's condition means or does not care as he seems overly optimistic about visiting her. Overall, Bobby is a very relatable character and Johnson gives him a realistic voice as he wavers between love and devotion to his daughter to panic and frustration with his great responsibility.
Review Excerpts
Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature 2004
Coretta Scott King Award for Best African-American Children's Writer 2004
Review in School Library Journal: "Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting..."
Review in Booklist: "teens will read again and again."Connections
*Discuss the way Johnson wrote this novel. Students might try to write a story in this manner.
*Read HEAVEN by Johnson ISBN 9780689822292
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