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Fourteen-year-old Quinn loves her family, skateboarding, basketball and her friends, but after she’s diagnosed with a condition called alopecia, which causes her to lose all her hair, she finds herself suddenly alone. Her so-called friends have abandoned her. A string of horrible rumors has spread about her throughout the school. She can’t even talk to her parents about it. They have enough on their minds with taking care of her autistic little brother, Julian.
When her family moves suddenly to a new state where Julian can attend a specialized school, Quinn realizes this is her chance to reinvent herself. No one has to know about her condition as long as she wears a wig. She can become whatever — whoever — she wishes without fear of being ostracized once again.
It’s at her new school that Quinn meets Nick. Nick was once a star football player, but because of a freak accident, he’s lost both of his legs. They make unlikely friends, but together, they just might find the confidence to believe in themselves once again.
How We Roll is a short book with multiple heavy topics. In many ways, I found it to be too short and simplistic for the three main issues it addresses. While Quinn may be the main character of this story, her alopecia seems to affect her life less than her little brother’s autism, and, in my opinion, Nick’s situation deserves its own story.
That said, Quinn’s alopecia is still a big part of the book. I was horrified to read about her being bullied (by her crush, no less) and to watch how much she struggled to navigate a new school and figure out whom to trust while also sorting through the trauma of her past. It was such a relief to see how she was eventually accepted at her new school.
I also loved that Quinn and Nick pushed each other to succeed and not be afraid of showing their true selves but at the same time still respected each other’s boundaries. The romance was just budding, allowing the characters to instead heal and grow together.
There have been many reviews about the dangerous misrepresentation of the autism featured in this book, which I cannot speak for. And while there were some things said or done that did not sit right with me, at its heart, How We Roll is an impactful story about accepting yourself.
Rated: Moderate. There is one variation of strong language, around 11 variations of moderate language, a few uses of mild language, and a few uses of the name of Deity. Sexual content includes non-consensual touching between Quinn and another character in a bathroom — an event which later becomes the source of rumors (centering around oral sex) and bullying for Quinn. Several sexual innuendos are made throughout the book. A character describes a self-defense move to use against a boy. A character tells the story of when she was dared to run around the block naked. The story features a few references to alcohol use by underage characters. Some characters use a ouija board in an interrupted attempt to summon the spirit of a dead classmate.
