STARTING TOMORROW

Four best friends face difficulties and hard choices in this high school drama told through a series of journal entries in Nalchajian’s YA novel.

Sixteen-year-old Mackenzie “Mack” Stewart has a secret. For the past six months, she has been struggling with an undiagnosed eating disorder. Determined to gain control of her body, Mack begins a food journal in an effort to stick to her New Year’s resolution: “Stop doing things that are bad for me!” This computer log quickly grows from a personal account of food consumption to a chronicle of her high school life with her three best friends, London, Rachel, and Skye. Nalchajian expertly guides the reader through a whirlwind of crushes, parties, and family drama in which Mack discovers that she’s not the only one with a secret among the people she knows, and that she doesn’t have to face her own alone. In this diarylike novel sprinkled with emojis, charts, self-interviews, and straightforward scenes, Mack discovers the severity of her self-destructive behaviors and embarks on a journey of self-love and acceptance. Although the narrative at times moves at a breakneck pace, Nalchajian manages to balance its speed with skillful characterization and engaging prose: “I wish I could explain these thoughts more realistically….When I write, they sound sequential and logical, but inside it all happens practically at once, like a bunch of people talking over each other.” Overall, it’s a novel that offers a creative take on a sensitive topics, including self-harm, while also maintaining a sharp sense of humor. As a result, it’s likely that this volume will speak to the hearts of adults and teenagers alike.

An awkward, heartbreaking, and uplifting drama of teenage life.