Decker, Wendy Lynn (SCBWI, Pursuing MFA at Wilkes University Creative Writing)

Sweet Tea Decker, Wendy Lynn (SCBWI, Pursuing MFA at Wilkes University Creative Writing) 2nd edition

After viewing an afternoon talk show, sixteen-year-old Olivia discovers her mother's strange behavior might be more than a case of eccentricity, she may be mentally ill. Olivia fears being left behind to care for her mother when older sister CeCe moves away in June to take a shot at stardom. After the truth about her mother is confirmed, Olivia is faced with more decisions than any sixteen-year-old should have to make. With no adult family members to turn to, Olivia has to trust the only people who have offered help: one strange man and a friend her mother made at the mental institution. Olivia is fearful of many things, but determination is her magic carpet, and it takes her on a ride that enlightens her about love, intuition, compassion and hope. She strives to understand the intricasies of her mother's illness one minute, and in another struggles with decisions of having sex with her new boyfriend. Her story is told in a voice that teeters on adulthood and teenage angst. Like tea, it is often bittersweet.