Words and Their Meanings

Gr 9 Up—When 17-year-old Anna O'Malley's "bruncle" (uncle raised as her brother) Joe dies, she suppresses her grief and refuses to open up about him. She embodies Patti Smith circa 1973, writing daily Patti verses on her forearm and conducts morning corpse yoga where she lays absolutely still in her bed. Anna also gives up her promising talent for writing. Throughout the year following Joe's passing, Anna blames herself for tragic family events including his death and her parents' divorce. Her family and best friend are at a loss as to how to help her move on and are afraid of awakening past destructive and suicidal grief responses. While seeing her ninth psychologist in under a year, Anna strikes a "deadaversary" bargain with her family to return to normalcy to avoid "crazy Bible camp" in Hell, Michigan. As she starts to comply with the bargain, the teen's life begins to move on with a new job, a love interest, and a glimmers of happiness. But more family secrets and tragedies unfold. Eventually, the protagonist's attempts at suppression lead to an increase in self-destructive tendencies that spiral out of control until she can no longer hold back. Bassett's debut novel scores a hat-trick of literary merit in a strongly crafted and complex plot, deeply drawn characters with palpable grief, and beautifully woven and rich prose. This title will appeal most to readers of realistic fiction, especially those looking for a deeply engaging, emotional story.—Adrienne L. Strock, Teen Library Manager, Nashville Public Library