A literary hug for the self-discoverer in us all
I highly recommend this heartfelt YA contemporary novel for the teens you love, and for celebrating the teens we once were. I know it will make many readers feel seen and understood.
Coming-of-age stories often leave me feeling the echoes of the awkwardness I felt at that age. This book’s cast of characters reminds me instead of the joyful parts: the friends who went through it with me, and the loved ones who supported me in embracing my whole self.
Ophelia shows us how challenging this can be when you realize there are parts of you yet to be discovered. She is a stunningly grounded main character: introspective, bright, and loving. Being a boy-crazy hopeless romantic is a cornerstone of her identity, so her foundation is understandably shaken when she finds herself attracted to another girl. “Maybe,” she muses, “I don’t know myself with the same certainty I always claimed.”
The leadup to prom has the characters focused on what we might think of as typical, low-stakes high school drama. Against this backdrop, Ophelia’s questioning and worries stand out as the Very Big Deal that they truly are in her life.
Between the big stuff and the smaller stuff, Ophelia and her loved ones have a lot on their minds. They are human, and this means they sometimes mess up when they could be more compassionate to themselves and each other. There is something beautiful and healing about how they feel these hurts, acknowledge their errors, apologize sincerely, and grow together.
This is not a romance, but I still think of it as a love story (our girl Ophelia is a lover, after all!). Ophelia reminds us of the beautiful work of self-love, tending to ourselves the way she nurtures her rose garden, even as we perpetually learn more about who we are. “I gave and took away my affection so often,” she shares, “I think my heart has always half belonged to the world and half belonged to me.” Ophelia’s heart has certainly left a sweet mark on mine.
Coming-of-age stories often leave me feeling the echoes of the awkwardness I felt at that age. This book’s cast of characters reminds me instead of the joyful parts: the friends who went through it with me, and the loved ones who supported me in embracing my whole self.
Ophelia shows us how challenging this can be when you realize there are parts of you yet to be discovered. She is a stunningly grounded main character: introspective, bright, and loving. Being a boy-crazy hopeless romantic is a cornerstone of her identity, so her foundation is understandably shaken when she finds herself attracted to another girl. “Maybe,” she muses, “I don’t know myself with the same certainty I always claimed.”
The leadup to prom has the characters focused on what we might think of as typical, low-stakes high school drama. Against this backdrop, Ophelia’s questioning and worries stand out as the Very Big Deal that they truly are in her life.
Between the big stuff and the smaller stuff, Ophelia and her loved ones have a lot on their minds. They are human, and this means they sometimes mess up when they could be more compassionate to themselves and each other. There is something beautiful and healing about how they feel these hurts, acknowledge their errors, apologize sincerely, and grow together.
This is not a romance, but I still think of it as a love story (our girl Ophelia is a lover, after all!). Ophelia reminds us of the beautiful work of self-love, tending to ourselves the way she nurtures her rose garden, even as we perpetually learn more about who we are. “I gave and took away my affection so often,” she shares, “I think my heart has always half belonged to the world and half belonged to me.” Ophelia’s heart has certainly left a sweet mark on mine.