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Pub date May 5, 2021
ISBN 978-0645099508
Price $19.99 (USD) Paperback, $1.03 Kindle edition
Book excerpt
Kummer’s moving latest, a tale of friendship, old secrets, and individual struggles delivers plotting and setting as well as fully developed characters. Sitting on the banks of the Ohio River, Little Rush has seen better days. For Hudson, Willow, and Mason, the childhood friends, their senior year is all about figuring out what to do with their lives after the school is over. When Bruce Michaels, the renowned Hollywood actor, returns to the town, the teens’ lives are turned upside down. Kummer adeptly handles the narrative shift between various characters, keeping both the momentum and pacing of the story smooth. Hudson’s mental health struggles and his inner turmoil are frustratingly vexing and yet rooted in reality. Willow, with her intuitiveness and sensitivity remains a consistently appealing character. Mason is equally convincing. The friends’ turbulent story as they navigate the ups and downs of their teen years highlights both the teen drama and individual struggles. The circumstances by which Hudson finally comes to terms with his struggles are unpredictable and moving at once. Along the way, Kummer delves into universal issues of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses, suicide, teenage pregnancy, family ties, friendship, trust, and betrayal. This is a winner.
***
Categories: YA
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