Amandla's 15th birthday does not go how she had hoped. I think most of us would agree, it's not how we would want our birthday to go. But when you are poor, mixed, and your mom is a bit...odd, that's how life goes sometimes. From the first few pages I found Amandla charming and intriguing. I love how this author makes Amandla so completely relatable as a teenager, even though her background is very different from my own. Even in the first few chapters, it is such a great blend of cultures and a subtle yet powerful commentary on the mixture of cultures and how it impacts people.