For This Life Only

Gr 9 Up—High school student Jacob Palmer has escaped Christmas family time overload to go to a party with friends—unfortunately, he has no ride home. Jace begs his disapproving twin, Elijah, to pick him up. Eli has always been the "good" one, the true preacher's kid, but a night that feels like any other is suddenly not. A violent accident leaves one twin permanently scarred and the other dead—the wrong twin, in everyone's opinion. Struggling through the atmosphere of constant self-blame and guilt, Jace attempts to normalize life without Eli, but disturbing memories of their last night keep coming back. Kade's writing effectively conveys loss; readers can feel the trauma of losing not only a family member but also a sense of belonging. A few of the characters run to formulaic conventions—the intolerant Christian father and the quirky outcast love interest, Thera Catoulus—however, through their interactions, Jace's character authentically engages in introspection and emotional wandering. One of the main conflicts, the Riverwood church administration's planned takeover of Catoulus family land, comes to an unlikely and abrupt conclusion but is satisfying for those wanting a happy ending.