Weekly Reader: Lily Upshire is Winning by John Holmes; Coming of Age YA Novel About A Girl's Conflicts In Her Online and Private Life

 

Weekly Reader: Lily Upshire is Winning by John Holmes; Coming of Age YA Novel About A Girl's Conflicts In Her Online and Private Life

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Lily Upshire is Winning by John Holmes is one of those Contemporary YA novels that isn't about anything. Or let me rephrase that, Lily Upshire is Winning is about the protagonist facing many things that on their own would make short works but together produce challenges to how she views herself and the world around her.

Lily Upshire is a 12 year old girl who isn't just having a miserable day. Lately she has had a miserable life. She is the frequent target of bullying from the Bizzel Sisters. She doesn't do well in school and dislikes most of her teachers except for English teacher Emily Hass, with whom she might have a crush. She is being raised by her grandmother, because her mother died before she was two and she has no father. This leads many to question and spread rumors about her parentage. It's no wonder that she confides in her online boyfriend, Travis, about her problems.

Lily's problems are about to get worse. Before she drinks a smoothie from a nearby shop called Bashett's, she discovers a pea inside. She and her grandmother's friends, the Peacemakers, decide to report the discovery to Bashett's main corporate office. This act turns Lily into an Internet celebrity. During her strange 15 minutes of fame, she discovers some disturbing things about Travis and a girl named Mack reveals to Lily that she has a crush on her.

This is a novel with a lot of humor and heart. There are some hilarious moments when the Peacemakers suggest ways to make her story more pathetic to arouse sympathy. ("Say you've got allergies!" "I have peas at least twice a week!")

 Also, it is very true when Bashett's keeps sending her complimentary gifts like vouchers and free trips to New York. They spend a lot of time, money, and attention on this case but don't give Lily what she really wants: a simple apology.

Besides the laughs, there is also a lot of sadness in the book, particularly with Lily's loneliness. She is understandably crushed when Travis is revealed to be a fraud. While realistically, Readers understand the dangers of online relationships and that Lily should know better, try telling that to a teenager with few friends and no one to confide in.

She also has trouble with outside relationships. She throws a potentially good healthy relationship with Mac away even after the girl confesses that she is in love with her. Lily is a bundle of insecurities who reaches out for love then withdraws it when she needs it the most.

Lily finds some solace as she begins to take up boxing as a hobby. What starts out as a means to exercise and defend herself, becomes an outlet to articulate her rage at the betrayals and anger that she feels. She begins to excel as many do when they find their talent and true niche. Through boxing, Lily actually finds some purpose in life.

Lily Upshire is Winning is a very realistic honest coming of age book that opens that time when it seems that everything is against you. Your body goes through changes that you don't understand. You are beginning to be annoyed with and resent the people around you. 

If you can find something or someone to hold onto during that time to bring some pleasure and meaning that makes you excel, then that can actually feel like winning.