by Sara Barnard ; illustrated by Christiane Fürtges ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 2021
A lovely coming-of-age tale set amid breathtaking scenery.
After a traumatic incident, an aspiring artist flees from England to Canada.
Peyton King is on a plane to Vancouver without a plan. The 17-year-old Brit has had a year that started out promisingly enough—a new school offers a fresh start after 5 years of bullying and brings, for the first time in her life, a group of friends and a boyfriend—then slowly but surely ended in chaos. Leaving only a short note for her parents, Peyton flees halfway across the world and shortly thereafter connects with a motley crew of 20-something travelers from various parts of Europe. As the group takes a road trip through Canada in an RV they dub Justin, Peyton documents the journey in her beloved sketchbook—and contemplates kissing her adorable fellow explorer Beasey. She also slowly regains the trust in other people that she’d lost. The story alternates chapters between Peyton’s past and present, slowly leading up to the tragic event that prompted her flight. Barnard has crafted a page-turner that’s both adventurous and reflective, and Peyton is a thoughtful, nuanced heroine who eventually understands her past roles as both victim and enabler. Excepting Scottish traveling companion Khalil, whose name cues him as a person of color, main characters are presumed White. There is some diversity in sexual orientation. Illustrations not seen.
A lovely coming-of-age tale set amid breathtaking scenery. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8390-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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by Kathleen Glasgow ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 30, 2016
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression.
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New York Times Bestseller
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.
This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-93471-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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by Chloe Walsh ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 28, 2023
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship.
A battered girl and an injured rugby star spark up an ill-advised romance at an Irish secondary school.
Beautiful, waiflike, 15-year-old Shannon has lived her entire life in Ballylaggin. Alternately bullied at school and beaten by her ne’er-do-well father, she’s hopeful for a fresh start at Tommen, a private school. Seventeen-year-old Johnny, who has a hair-trigger temper and a severe groin injury, is used to Dublin’s elite-level rugby but, since his family’s move to County Cork, is now stuck captaining Tommen’s middling team. When Johnny angrily kicks a ball and knocks Shannon unconscious (“a soft female groan came from her lips”), a tentative relationship is born. As the two grow closer, Johnny’s past and Shannon’s present become serious obstacles to their budding love, threatening Shannon’s safety. Shannon’s portrayal feels infantilized (“I looked down at the tiny little female under my arm”), while Johnny comes across as borderline obsessive (“I knew I shouldn’t be touching her, but how the hell could I not?”). Uneven pacing and choppy sentences lead to a sudden climax and an unsatisfyingly abrupt ending. Repetitive descriptions, abundant and misogynistic dialogue (Johnny, to his best friend: “who’s the bitch with a vagina now?”), and graphic violence also weigh down this lengthy tome (considerably trimmed down from its original, self-published length). The cast of lively, well-developed supporting characters, especially Johnny’s best friend and Shannon’s protective older brother, is a bright spot. Major characters read white.
A troubling depiction of an unhealthy relationship. (author’s note, pronunciations, glossary, song moments, playlists) (Romance. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728299945
Page Count: 626
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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