Griffin Jennings struggles to process the sudden death of his first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, who drowned in a private school pool. The narrative oscillates between the present grief of the funeral and flashbacks documenting their history in Manhattan. Griffin deals with worsening obsessive-compulsive rituals, such as his fixation on odd numbers and specific physical patterns, while navigating a complex relationship with Jackson, the boy Theo was dating at the time of his death. Their shared loss forces them to confront the secrets Theo kept and the destructive nature of their own private expectations.
Readers of contemporary young adult fiction who value intricate character studies and non-linear storytelling will find this useful. It serves those interested in the intersections of neurodivergence and bereavement within the LGBTQ+ community. The reader finishes the book with a perspective on how memory can be rewritten to suit emotional needs and the specific difficulty of mourning a person who was already becoming a stranger before they died. It provides a look at how social circles fracture and reform after a central figure is removed.
- Published
- 2017
- Language
- EN
