THERE'S NEVER BEEN A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE THE ONE AT P.S. 961…
It's 2007 in New York City, and the well-meaning Mr. J, a newly arrived teacher still mourning the loss of his sister, latches onto a vulnerable student. Kandra, a bright but troubled girl, pushes boundaries to the limit in pursuit of a brazen intimacy with her teacher, which only sets off the jealous Shay.
In a school filled with emotionally disturbed teenagers, Mr. J struggles to help Kandra and his other students but he finds limited support among those who should be able to help the most. Mr. Cody, the principal, is on the brink of retirement and only intermittently engaged, much to the school's detriment. And Shirley, a dedicated veteran teacher, knows a reckoning looms but can do little to prevent it.
Informed by my decade of teaching in the South Bronx and Manhattan, Exit Tickets is told from multiple points of view, including that of Mr. J, Kandra, Shirley, Mr. Cody, and others. As fierce as it is heartbreaking, Exit Tickets lays bare the dreams and struggles, sacrifices and heroism of its characters.
REVIEWS
Chanko juggles the presentation of all these characters and their issues with immense skill. Because the novel focuses on a different character in each chapter, it effectively presents a prism of perspectives as each of the characters struggle with their own unique challenges over the course of the story. The author combines realistic dialogue, complex contemporary social issues, and characters to root for in this narrative. The result is a masterful tapestry of strife and resiliency.