THE FIRST PART LAST by Angela Johnson

Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003.

ISBN: 0-689-84922-2

Plot Summary:

Bobby has just turned sixteen and is looking forward to a fun birthday with family and friends.  His girlfriend, Nia, comes over and delivers some birthday news that will change their lives forever.  Angela Johnson tells a powerful story of two teens in love and dealing with the reality of teenage pregnancy.  Told in alternating chapters from “then,” during Nia’s pregnancy, and “now,” after the birth of Feather, the story is told from the perspective of Bobby, the teenage father.  Now Bobby is torn between wanting to hang out with his friends and needing to change diapers and do homework through sleep-deprived eyes.  Life is not easy for a teenaged father raising a baby and just trying to finish high school, but Bobby rises to the occasion and bares his heart and soul, sharing his hopes and dreams for feather, as well as a love that only a father can have for a child.  Angela Johnson tells a powerful story of love and hope that will speak volumes to teens.

  

Critical Analysis:

Angela Johnson has written a beautiful story that teens will not want to put down.  The timely subject of teen pregnancy is addressed in a realistic, yet respectful way.  The setting is authentic, contemporary and could be in any urban environment.  Bobby and Nia are well-developed African-American characters, as are Bobby’s divorced parents and his friends, K-Boy and J.L., although the character of Nia’s parents is less developed.  Through soulful, poetic, succinct writing readers experience the highly emotional relationship that Bobby has with Nia, with his parents and with Nia’s parents, which at times becomes highly volatile. Through the use of language patterns and dialect, readers are drawn into the rich cultural heritage that is the African-American experience. In classic Angela Johnson style this story begs for contemplation and consideration by readers.

    

Review Excerpts:

“…poetic, and absolutely riveting…” ~School Library Journal

“The author skillfully relates the hope in the midst of pain.” ~Publishers Weekly

“Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again.” ~Booklist

Awards:

Michael L. Printz Award 2004

Coretta Scott King Award 2004

Connections:

**Students should read the other books in this series (The Heaven Trilogy):

Heaven by Angela Johnson (prequel to The First Part Last)

Sweet, Hereafter by Angela Johnson (sequel to The First Part Last)