A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best of the Year
"Profoundly moving . . . Will take your breath away." โKathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces
A stunningly gorgeous and deeply hopeful portrayal of living with mental illness and grief, from an exceptional new voice.
Biz knows how to float. She has her people, her posse, her mom and the twins. She has Grace. And she has her dad, who tells her about the little kid she was, and who shouldn't be here but is. So Biz doesn't tell anyone anything. Not about her dark, runaway thoughts, not about kissing Grace or noticing Jasper, the new boy. And she doesn't tell anyone about her dad. Because her dad died when she was seven. And Biz knows how to float, right there on the surfaceโnormal okay regular fine.
But after what happens on the beachโfirst in the ocean, and then in the sandโthe tethers that hold Biz steady come undone. Dad disappears and, with him, all comfort. It might be easier, better, sweeter to float all the way away? Or maybe stay a little longer, find her father, bring him back to her. Or maybeโmaybe maybe maybeโthere's a third way Biz just can't see yet.
Debut author Helena Fox tells a story about love and grief, about inter-generational mental illness, and how living with it is both a bridge to someone loved and lost and, also, a chasm. She explores the hard and beautiful places loss can take us, and honors those who hold us tightly when the current wants to tug us out to sea.
"Give this to all [your] friends immediately." โCosmopolitan.com
"I haven't been so dazzled by a YA in ages." โJandy Nelson, author of I'll Give You the Sun (via SLJ)
"Mesmerizing and timely." โBustle
"Nothing short of exquisite." โPopSugar
"Immensely satisfying" โGirls' Life
* "Lyrical and profoundly affecting." โKirkus (starred review)
* "Masterful...Just beautiful." โBooklist (starred review)
* "Intimate...Unexpected." โPW (starred review)
* "Fox writes with superb understanding and tenderness." โBCCB (starred review)
* "Frank [and] beautifully crafted." โBookPage (starred review)
"Deeply moving...A story of hope." โCommon Sense Media
"This book will explode you into atoms." โMargo Lanagan, author of Tender Morsels
"Helena Fox's novel delivers. Read it." โCath Crowley, author of Words in Deep Blue
"This is not a book; it is a work of art." โKerry Kletter, author of The First Time She Drowned
"Perfect...Readers will be deeply moved." โBooks+Publishing