Review of THE LAST PART FIRST by Angela Johnson

Biography
Johnson, Angela. 2005. The First Part Last. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing. ISBN 9780689849237

Plot Summary
Bobby is a typical teenager moving to the rhythms in the urban heart of New York City. He is restless, impulsive, and growing in the wonderment of life. Just as he is approaching home to celebrate his sixteenth birthday, he finds his girlfriend, Nia, sitting on his stoop, “Just sittin’ there with a balloon, looking all lost.” It is on this day that Bobby’s typical teenage life becomes anything but ordinary; he learns that he will soon become a father. In a tragic and heartbreaking moment, Nia experiences grave health complications that leave Bobby as a single parent. Bobby must now cope with his ever changing and complex emotions while bearing the responsibilities of hastened adulthood.


Critical Analysis
Angela Johnson gives us an insider’s look into the true grit and raw emotions that come with teenage pregnancy. Interestingly, Johnson’s novel focuses on the male’s point of view, one that is often discredited or too easily dismissed as irrelevant. Bobby is a sixteen-year-old father whose girlfriend unexpectedly dies of pregnancy complications. His character is well-rounded, and Johnson allows us to see his wide range of emotions, his fears, and his stark humanity. She gives him a balance of concurrently possessing paternal instincts and pangs for “just being a kid.”

Nia’s character is pivotal to the plot as she changes the tone of the book on two distinct occasions: revealing her pregnancy and slipping away due to eclampsia. It is not until one of the final chapters, entitled Nia, that we get an intimate feel of Nia and her inner thoughts. Johnson releases the narration from Bobby and hands it over to Nia. Nia gives us a punctuated glimpse into her hopes and fears: “When I was five I wanted to be a firefighter. All of my uniforms would have Nia on them…I wanted my arms to be the arms that carried out babies and kids, safe.” The reader is able to make an instant connection with a character that has previously been somewhat elusive. Johnson intuitively uses this chapter to satisfy the readers’ need to feel Nia as well as Bobby.

Bobby and Nia’s baby is a critical component in the book. Johnson is able to capture the power that exudes from this tiny infant as her presence permeates every thought and action of the books’ characters. The baby is named Feather, and the significance of her name is hidden from the reader until the book begins its concluding chapters. “She came to me so slow, and it was just like somebody brushed the air with a feather.”

The setting of the novel is in New York City. Johnson displays inclusive perspectives as she takes us on a well-rounded tour of the city. Bobby bounces between the Bed-Stuy housing project of Brooklyn and a lower middle-class brownstone on the Lower West Side of Manhattan. His girlfriend, Nia, resides in an upscale, modern loft on the Upper East Side where “Every wall in their loft is so white it almost hurts my eyes."

Johnson toggles the chapters back and forth from Now and Then, giving a balanced account of present and background information. Full of romance, drama, and suspense, The First Part Last is a must-read for teens and adults alike.

Review Excerpts
Winner of the 2004 Coretta Scott King Award
Winner of the 2004 Michael L. Printz Award
School Library Review:  "It will also be instantly popular for leisure reading outside of school."

Connections
*Would make an excellent book for required reading for junior high school students.
*Can be used to open a discussion about teen pregnancy.
*Look for the audio version, available on CD and MP3 format:
Johnson, Angela. ISBN 9781400090679