Keeping Pace by Laurie Morrison

Grace Eller is about to graduate from eighth grade, and she has fiercely set her eyes on her academic goals, chief among them earning top scholar of her school. When her former childhood friend-turned-rival Jonah Perkins defeats her by less than a point, Grace is devastated. She stares down her last summer before high school with dread, uncertain what to do or who she is without a goal to pursue. When Jonah suggests they train for a half-marathon together, Grace secretly hopes to best him in the race, finally coming out on top and reclaiming her misplaced pride.

As the summer unfolds, Grace reckons with a series of changes that upend her life and her sense of self. She fails to gain entrance to a creative writing intensive, a program she hoped would impress her father, himself a professional writer. Her father has started dating a woman named Brie after he and Grace’s mom divorced, and Grace is now babysitting Brie’s young son Teddy. And Grace wrestles with confusing and unexpected emotions as she spends more time running with Jonah, no longer just an academic rival but becoming a friend again. And maybe more?

Keeping Pace is a novel that will speak to adolescent girls who struggle with identity, particularly when their self-worth is tied to their accomplishments.

Reading Level: Ages 13+
Read Aloud: Ages 13+

Keeping Pace rings true for overachieving, Type A girls with a drive for success. Grace asks the question that many girls like her grapple with: If I’m not the smartest (or the most fill-in-the-blank), then who am I? There are few questions more important than this for a middle schooler, a season of life where teens experience rapid change, are striving to discover who they are, and are unsure how to do it. The novel’s ultimate message for Grace is that she needs to reassess her definition of success. It isn’t merely achieving academic success. (Grace’s dad sets the unfortunate example of a person consumed with professional achievement while he neglects his family and personal relationships.) Grace learns to prioritize her relationships with her mom, her sister, her cousin Avery, and her rekindled connection with Jonah. By the end of the book, she and Jonah have moved from friendship to beginning to date.

One of the book’s huge strengths was how the author depicts the all-too-real, all-too-painful feelings of adolescence in both family dynamics as well as friendships. Grace’s parents have divorced, and Grace feels like a third wheel next to her mom and sister’s tight bond. Grace craves her father’s approval but he largely prioritizes his career over spending time with his daughters. Grace also struggles with feelings of insecurity in relation to her cousin Avery; she feels left behind in their friendship while Avery connects with new friends on her soccer team. Grace’s struggles to find her footing in her family and friend group (during a time of uncertainty and transition) will resonate powerfully with many girls.

While Grace’s struggle with identity takes center stage in the story, her changing relationship with Jonah is the novel’s most significant subplot. Their rivalry grows into friendship and then into something more. It has all the markers of young romance (an awkward but sweet first kiss, butterflies from hands or knees touching). Keeping Pace would not be an appropriate book selection for a girl without maturity or who struggles with the idolatry of romantic relationships. Each young person’s maturity develops at a different pace. Parents should be aware that young romance features heavily in Keeping Pace, although the physical affection between Grace and Jonah is limited to hand holding, hugs, and two kisses.

Language:
Coarse Talk: Shoot, screw up, sucks, freaking, poop, mention of boobs, mention of
period supplies
Name-calling: Jerk, Grace was referred to as “Electric Socket” for her curly hair

Questionable Behaviors:
Grace meets a person in her creative writing class who goes by CJ; the book refers to CJ as “they.” The book says that CJ “used to have a name that didn’t fit right” and the name CJ felt “bigger and freer.”
Jonah’s father passed away before the events of the book.  Jonah tells Grace that his mom has a new boyfriend, Eliot. Later in the book we learn that Eliot has moved in with Jonah’s family.
Avery skips some soccer events and doesn’t tell her mom.

Sexual Content:
Frequent mentions of kissing or ‘making out’ (for example, Grace is teased by her sister and cousin about her wanting to kiss Jonah, Avery has a boyfriend Collin who she has kissed, with tongue)
Grace’s cousin Avery and older sister Celia create a to-do list for Grace for the summer, to which Avery adds to the list, “Kiss someone!” When Celia mildly scolds Avery for being “boy-crazy”, Avery responds that “it doesn’t have to be a boy.” Grace scoffs at this addition to the list and adds “Eww, no.”
Mention of Celia having a boyfriend and Jonah having an ex-girlfriend.
Grace and Jonah joke about being “obsessed” with each other.
Grace’s dad briefly kisses Brie on the mouth.
Two mentions of a girl Grace’s age wearing a bikini.

Other Things to Know:
Grace asks Jonah about the meaning behind his name. He explains that in addition to “dove”, Jonah also means “destroyer” or “he who oppresses.” Jonah refers to the Jonah of the Old Testament as “not the greatest guy.”
There is a marked lack of strong male adult characters and stable, two-parent homes.
Grace’s mom and dad are divorced, and Grace’s father is aloof and selfish. Jonah’s father has passed away. There is no mention of a father figure for Avery.
Grace’s cousin Avery has been diagnosed with ADHD prior to the events of the book.
Grace’s older sister Celia takes an interest in the environment and begins a summer composting project. She later applies for an environmental science program for “climate change leaders.”
Grace remembers advice she received from her first-grade teacher: “You feel what you feel, and no feeling is wrong.”
Mention of Grace’s friends knowing TikTok dances. Frequent mentions of texting amongst Grace and her circle of friends and acquaintances.
Grace’s new friend Luna has a sticker on her laptop: “Read More, Ban Less.”

This review is written by Good Book Mom contributor, Nancy. To learn more about Nancy click HERE.

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