Reading Level: Young Adult

Sixteen-year-old Lana Morris has moved into a new foster home already occupied by four special needs kids or “Snicks.” And although Lana is the one who primarily looks after them, the Snicks are not her only concern. She must contend with the quirky boy next door whose friends are shockingly cruel, as well as new foster parents whose marriage is highly dysfunctional. Lana believes she’s in love with her foster father and he encourages her feelings, while his wife Veronica, seething with jealousy, makes Lana’s life miserable.  

The Decoding of Lana Morris is a heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful, story steeped in adult betrayal and humiliation, teen confusion and fear, and imponderable acts of human cruelty and weakness. But because the McNeals have written with such depth and understanding, and because they have created such finely rendered characters, the reader accepts the darkness and rejoices in the light whenever it appears. A magical conceit emerges early in the book, and it is an excellent catalyst for such mature themes as personal responsibility and the consequences of one’s actions. Teens will understand Lana’s desire to help her friends, but they will also appreciate her inner struggle when she decides the fate of her enemies. 

The book is written in the present tense, which lends immediacy to the text, and the chapters are kept short. These stylistic choices speed the narrative along, while the superb writing, crafted with great clarity, adds to the reading experience. Additionally, the dialogue feels perfect. The teens sound appropriately irreverent and the adults—well, they sound exactly like adults, the kind one doesn’t want to meet.

—Janice Corker, Youth Services Librarian, Chandler (AZ) Sunset Library