The World Divided by Piper by Caela Carter (review)

Reviewed by: The World Divided by Piper by Caela Carter Cassidy Russell Carter, Caela The World Divided by Piper. Quill Tree, 2024 384p Trade ed. ISBN 9780062996664 19. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780062996688 10. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 5-7 Eleven-year-old Piper knows three things: that she has already discovered her life's work (Metaphorical Math, her theory that math can be used to "explain humanity to itself"), that she and her best friend Tallulah are going to win the Children's Academic Decathlon of the State of New Jersey, and that she isn't ready to get her period. Piper's doctor and her mother, however, have decided that it's time for her to go off of the hormone blockers she's been taking since she was six, which treated her premature puberty. Adulthood, especially as a woman, seems pretty awful; after End Page 245 watching her mother be called "Mrs. " instead of "Dr. " and noticing the rampant sexualization of female avatars in video games, Piper (understandably) concludes that "being a kid is hard but being a woman is harder. " While Piper is a white, cis, straight girl, her journey toward finding the language to describe the insidiousness of systemic oppression is supported by a cast of diverse (and fully-fleshed) characters—and the book manages to grapple with Piper's privilege without minimizing her struggle. Tallulah, a neurodivergent Black girl, and Piper have honest discussions about privilege where Piper both learns from and marvels at how lucky she is to learn from her friend, and Piper's support group for kids dealing with hormonal issues is a haven of trans, non-binary, and otherwise other-ed kids, celebrating each other and expressing themselves. Consider this an updated Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, allowing for a full range of sexuality, gender, and feelings about puberty. The book's body-positive, anti-racist, intersectionally feminist message celebrates honesty over niceness—and might just convince readers that math can be exciting. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois