IF WE NEVER END

When a Cuban American teen from Los Angeles spends the summer with her aunt in a rural Oregon cabin, she happens upon a gold watch with paranormal powers in a nearby antique shop.

Eighteen-year-old Sylvie Castellano dreams of leading “a big, big life”—one full of love, adventure, and freedom. She’s elated to spend the summer between high school graduation and starting community college with her beloved tía, the famous artist Vivian Rojas, although she feels abandoned by her absent parents; left out by her best friends, Ana and Grier, who recently coupled up; and uneasy about her own future. In tiny Sacred, Oregon, where Tía Vivian is working, Sylvie purchases a seemingly ordinary wristwatch—and is shocked when it summons the spirit of a teenage boy. Penn, who’s cued white, is handsome, charismatic, and devoid of all memories. Sylvie vows to help him discover why he’s bound to the watch and stuck in limbo. But as they grow closer, she becomes torn between wanting to continue their connection and helping Penn’s spirit move on as she promised. Sylvie’s story is grounded in specifics but contains elements that hold universal resonance for young adult readers. Unexpected twists, slowly unfolding mysteries, and a haunted romance add sparkle to the summer vacation genre. This beautiful, surreal narrative thoughtfully explores transitions—from childhood to adulthood and from this world to the next.

Deeply absorbing and dreamlike.