Publishers Weekly
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Toalson (The Unforgettable Leta “Lightning” Laurel) centers the formative teen and college years of poet Sylvia Plath (1932–1963) in a fictionalized telling inspired by her letters and diaries. Beginning in 1948, during her junior year of high school in Wellesley, Mass., lucid verse chronicles Plath’s increasing thirst for creative recognition and her attempts to reconcile her literary ambitions with the era’s sexism. Challenges managing episodic depression and suicidal ideation frequently complicate her educational and artistic pursuits. Though she believes that “the worst thing/ you can do for your ambitious future// is fall in love,” Plath yearns for both marriage and a career, and struggles to remain true to writing—her first love—as she navigates romantic relationships. Intimate, confessional poems make parallels between Plath’s mental health-managing efforts and her formal education at Smith College, frankly tracing financial worries and suicide attempts alongside skyrocketing recognition of her work. The novel’s hopeful tone emphasizes Plath’s determination to learn that “light is made brighter by the dark,” and an endnote provides additional context regarding Plath’s mental health and eventual death by suicide. The result is a vulnerable, ambitious, and resolute read—much like Plath herself. Resources conclude. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (Feb.)

School Library Journal
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Gr 9 Up—A lyrical and intimate portrayal of Sylvia Plath's early years, spanning from high school through her graduation at Smith College. Written in verse, the novel captures the exhilarating highs of recognition and publication alongside the devastating lows of clinical depression. Toalson draws readers into Plath's constant cycles of joy and despair, showing how even accolades from family, friends, teachers, and mentors could not quiet her self-doubt. Beyond her creative pursuits, Plath wrestles with the strict societal expectations placed on women in the 1950s, as well as her own evolving sense of feminism and identity. Despite her inner conflict, Plath was always searching for a boy/man who would respect her nontraditional approach to adulthood and love her for who she was. The novel also confronts the darkest chapters of Plath's young life, including her stay in a psychiatric hospital where she received shock treatments, with honesty and sensitivity. As stated at the beginning of the novel, trigger warnings include depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Because the novel closes with her departure for the University of Cambridge for graduate school, Plath's story ends with resilience and growth, even if it remains unfinished. Toalson (The Unforgettable Leta "Lightning" Laurel) balances admiration for Plath's accomplishments with empathy for her struggles. VERDICT A moving, page-turning portrait that will resonate with readers familiar with Plath's battles with mental health. A sound addition to school libraries.—Kim Gardner

Kirkus
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This work of historical fiction in verse highlights Sylvia “Sivvy” Plath’s high school and college years.The Bell Jar has long been considered semiautobiographical, and the parallels between this volume of poetry and Plath’s life are evident in this fictional account, which spans her junior year of high school in 1948 to her graduation from Smith College and departure for the University of Cambridge in 1955. Sivvy’s first-person narration captures the intensity of her emotional life. She’s determined to make a name for herself and denounces conventional expectations for women. Although she presents an image of vitality to the world, with an active social life and several publications in national magazines, beneath her sunny image, self-doubt and depression deplete her for days on end. Her mental health struggles come to a head in college, and after a traumatic series of shock treatments, Sivvy attempts suicide. She’s ultimately able to resume her studies, receiving a Fulbright Fellowship to study in England. The story concludes with Sivvy on board theQueen Elizabeth, sailing toward her hopeful future. The stream-of-consciousness narration immerses readers in Sivvy’s highs and lows. Readers become confidants in this highly relatable portrayal of a complex life. (content warning, afterword, resources, author’s note)(Verse fiction. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.