Books › Kendra
Kendra
292 pages
A striking, emotionally resonant exploration of a fractured mother-daughter bond and the difficult work of building a family.
What it feels like
Reading this novel feels like stepping directly into the tense, emotionally charged atmosphere of a family at a crossroads. The narrative moves at a steady, grounded pace, driven not by explosive action but by the quiet, striking friction of a mother and daughter trying to bridge a fourteen-year age gap. The tone is deeply empathetic and earnest, capturing both the desperate longing for connection and the sharp sting of repeated disappointment. It is a realistic, unvarnished look at the complexities of family life in New York, wrapping the reader in a mood that is simultaneously fraught and tentatively hopeful. This book will deeply satisfy readers who gravitate toward character-driven contemporary fiction that explores the messy, hard-won work of understanding the people who are supposed to love us most.
- Mood
- emotionally charged
- tense
- hopeful
- realistic
- Tone
- earnest
- empathetic
- grounded
- direct
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- mother-daughter friction · generational expectations · longing for connection · navigating adolescence · rebuilding fractured bonds
- The writing
- Direct and striking, focusing closely on the raw, realistic emotional stakes of its characters.
- The arc
- Moves from a place of deep longing and repeated disappointment toward the difficult, tentative work of mutual understanding.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave grounded, realistic contemporary fiction about the messy, complicated dynamics between mothers and daughters.
Content notes
- family conflict
- teenage pregnancy
- underage rebellion
About the book
The acclaimed author of TYRELL returns to PUSH with a striking novel about a mother and daughter who are only fourteen years apart, but need to learn to understand each other before it's too late.
Kendra's mom, Renee, had her when she was only 14 years old. Renee and her mom made a deal -- Renee could get an education, and Kendra would live with her grandmother. But now Renee's out of grad school and Kendra's in high school... and getting into some trouble herself. Kendra's grandmother lays down the law: It's time for Renee to take care of her daughter. Kendra wants this badly -- even though Renee keeps disappointing her. Being a mother isn't easy, but being a daughter can be just as hard. Now it's up to Kendra and Renee to make it work.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Kendra
See why they match
TyrellCoe BoothA raw, ticking-clock portrait of a teenager forced to carry the weight of the world while navigating the razor-thin line between survival and ruin.
PushSapphireA harrowing but ultimately triumphant descent into the darkest corners of abuse, illuminated by the radical, life-saving power of language.
The first part lastAngela JohnsonA tender, poetic exploration of sudden adulthood and the fierce, terrifying love of a teenage father.
What we loseZinzi ClemmonsA fragmented, deeply intimate meditation on the shattering weight of grief and the search for a self between two worlds.
Jason & KyraDana DavidsonA tender, opposites-attract high school romance that peels back the layers of teenage popularity to reveal the vulnerable hearts underneath.
One for the MurphysLynda Mullaly HuntA tender, tear-jerking exploration of a guarded heart slowly learning to trust in the warmth of a found family.