Praise for Abandoned:
“Perhaps the most compelling group in Kim’s book are the teens who have ‘aged out’ of the foster care system. . . . We may not be able to provide caring parents‚ but as Kim notes‚ we can do a better job bolstering schools in poor areas and provide more training‚ employment and family planning programs.”
—The Associated Press
“A remarkably important book. . . . Kim has set the table for a much-needed conversation about a population of young people neglected for far too long.”
—Alex Kotlowitz, Washington Monthly
“Kim diagnoses a ‘crisis of opportunity’ among America’s youth in this substantial and cogent analysis of U.S. public policy. . . . Policy makers and social justice advocates will find valuable insights in this sobering‚ well-sourced examination.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A quietly powerful nonfiction debut. . . . the author enlivens the text with miniprofiles of beneficiaries of high-impact programs. An outstanding book for policymakers and people who work with adrift young people.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“In defiance of stereotypes of lazy and unmotivated youth, Kim depicts young people who are eager to break into the workforce but face personal and structural obstacles that sabotage their efforts at every turn... [A] smart, solutions-focused examination of an often-overlooked social crisis.”
—Booklist
“Anne Kim has written an urgent exposé of the disparities of opportunity that impact young people in today’s economy and job market. In the same way as Matthew Desmond detailed the lives impacted by evictions, so Kim explores the lost opportunities afforded impoverished young Americans. For all who care about social justice, this is a must-read.”
—Sasha Abramsky, author of The American Way of Poverty: How the Other Half Still Lives
