YOU AND ME AND MISERY

A boy hoping for a better future and a girl who can’t see her own find one another.

Gin and Johnny are high school juniors struggling through life with little consideration for their futures. Gin, suddenly dumped by the first girl she’s ever dated, is sadder than ever, as she still grieves for her dead mother and wonders whether her mom would have loved her if she’d known she was gay. Johnny, who struggles with bulimia, has little respite from life at school (where he is laughed at) or home (where he lives in fear of his abusive father) unless he is in his secret hideaway at school. Neither can see through their own problems long enough to help the other, but they find themselves becoming friends after Gin discovers Johnny’s hiding place. Though they grow closer, Gin and Johnny aren’t sure if they can trust one another with their closely guarded secrets. But the weekend of Johnny’s birthday, things take a turn for the worse, and they realize just how much they mean to one another. Told in alternating perspectives, the author deftly details the suffering and sadness that Gin and Johnny live through. Readers will appreciate the simple, yet carefully chosen words that show the realistic, and occasionally raw, feelings of two teens wading through uncertainty. The short text and quick-paced storyline make for an engaging novel. Gin is cued as black and Johnny as white.

An emotional, realistic tale for reluctant readers.