Bobby, a sixteen-year-old African American boy whose life is changed when his girlfriend becomes pregnant, narrates THE FIRST PART LAST, written by Angela Johnson.  Nia and Bobby struggle with the situation and what they should do for the new baby when it comes.  Bobby feels his old life slipping away as the due date gets nearer.  When Nia becomes eclampsic and falls into a persistent vegetative state, Bobby decides to keep the baby, Feather.  His life changes in more ways than he can imagine.  Besides the loss of sleep and trouble at school, Bobby is overwhelmed with what he is and must be for Feather. 

The striking thing about this story is that it jumps back and forth between then and now.  From the beginning, the reader knows that Bobby is raising Feather by himself, but does not know what happened to Nia.  Bobby tells of the scene where, on his sixteenth birthday, Nia breaks the news, beginning with, And this is how I turned sixteen  Ill never forget that look and how her voice shook when she said, Bobby, Ive got something to tell you.  Then she handed me the balloon.  Johnson uses Bobbys voice to pull the reader right in to the emotion of the moment. 

At first glance, this topic may seem stereotypical- a Black teenager gets his girlfriend pregnant.  However, Johnson does not have Bobby blaming poverty or ignorance.  As a matter of fact, Bobby recalls his talks with his parents, and how his mom kept condoms stocked under the sink, no questions asked.  In this tale, Grandma does not swoop in to raise the baby; she lets Bobby stay with her, but carefully avoids stepping out of Grandmother mode.

Bobbys narration seems very authentic, almost as if the words were copied right out of his diary.  He narrates the way he speaks, shortening words (cuz), asking himself questions.  Johnson does sprinkle in some curse words, but not just to be there.  They seem to fit, especially in the mind of a sixteen-year-old. 

The book takes the reader along for the ride as Bobby experiences the highs and the lows.  They can almost smell the baby when Bobby breathes in the scent of her head.  They feel the emotion when Bobby says, I say it like Ive known it forever, only now its so clear and I can say it: Ive never been closer to or loved anyone more than I love Feather.  They feel the strain when he says, I can hardly keep my eyes open in Brit Lit.  I got so much drool on my arm I cant even try to wipe it on my shirt.  I seriously need a tissue or a paper towel.  They experience his pain when, talking about God, he says, Maybe he doesnt listen if you scare everybody in the emergency room and hold on to your mom that tight while youre screaming and crying more than you ever have in your whole damned life. 

Johnsons words are powerful, but she does not let this narrative sink into an endorsement of teenage pregnancies, or a cautionary tale.  She lets Bobby unfold before the reader, lets them see the happiness as well as the pain that his new life brings.  THE FIRST PART LAST is the winner of a Coretta Scott King as well as a Michael L. Printz award.