Opinions and Opossums

When older neighbor Gracy nearly hits an opossum with a pouch full of young at the start of this slim, feminist-leaning novel by Braden (Flight of the Puffin), 12-year-old Agnes learns that a play-dead instinct "isn't great if your predator is a line of traffic ready to run you over." Expected by her widowed mother to attend confirmation classes and sign a pledge that she believes in God, Agnes identifies with the opossum's inability to stand up for herself. Is her worry about "opopinions," or "Other People's Opinions," undermining her faith in herself? Questions about finding and speaking her own truth begin consuming Agnes, who understands that her mother usually yields to those in traditional positions of power. Inspiration and guidance come via a Beyoncé documentary featuring Maya Angelou ("Tell the truth. To yourself first"), and from Gracy's teachings about archeology, anthropology, history, and poetry, as Agnes works to understand women's underreported, vital roles throughout history, and the importance of perspective in accounts of the past. Underdeveloped characters and message-heavy prose undercut this empowering novel's solidly constructed arc, which is told via a first-person voice and quirky "The Opinion of an Opossum" interstitials. Protagonists present as white. Ages 10-up. Agent: Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary. (May)