Come November

Come November
by Katrin van Dam

Rooney is a senior in high school, and wow, is her life difficult.  Her mom just lost her job, but she doesn't care and won't go out and get a new job.  Her mom doesn't worry about the bills getting paid, or the children getting fed.  All because she is into a cult called Next World Society, and they are convinced the world is ending on November 17th when they will be taken up by aliens.

Rooney wants to go off to college, but she is stuck. She has to drop her after school program working at the school newspaper, which she loves, so she can work more hours since she is the only one working.  She makes dinner and tucks her little brother in bed at night.   She is doing so much more than what someone her age should be doing; she is not the mother.  

I really liked this one.  I kept reading to find out what was going to happen on this big day, November 17th and then what would happen in the aftermath.  

In her way, Ronney's mother does love her children and she is looking out for them, she's planning for November 17th as she is convinced this is all true.  But she's terrible.  Rooney is more of a mother to her little brother than she is.  And then afterwards she just falls apart and Rooney has so much to worry about,  how to keep a house over their heads, how to keep buying food.  

Rooney has an absent father that comes back into her life.  All this time he has just sent money so they can pay the rent and that's pretty much it.  There was a fight and confusion and they both thought the other wanted nothing to do with the other.  Even that, you would think if he loved his children he would have fought a little more to get them.  He knew the mother was deep into this cult.  How did he know there wasn't some mass suicide going on November 17th.  By the end of the book he does seem to be trying to do a little better.

And then how confusing for the little boy. He loves his mother, and it's just sad how much he goes through.