Literature has helped me in my most challenging moments, allowing me to confront and explore difficult emotions in a safe space, and it’s my sincerest wish that the novels in today’s post will be able to provide that same comfort, consolation and help to a young reader when they need it most of all.

Desperate to do something, I began working on this post at the beginning of February and have spent weeks on research, with the hope that it can help young adult readers find comfort, understanding, and some semblance of closure in the pages of the books below. They can’t gather with loved ones to celebrate the life of the loved one they lost or have the opportunity to say goodbye.Īs I continue to remain home and shelter-in-place in my small corner of the world, I often feel frustrated and helpless in regard to helping those who are struggling or in pain in the wake of the death of a loved one. This is made especially difficult when those acting responsibly and following social distancing protocols are often isolated, alone and unable to practice the services and rituals that can help make the grieving process easier. When I reflect on the pandemic thus far and how our lives have changed immeasurably since March 2020, I’m heartsick at the collective trauma, loss and grief the world has experienced in the past year, the extent of which I don’t think we’ve even begun to be able to process. Please Note: If you’re looking for a post on the same topic featuring books written for a younger target audience, don’t miss the 120 Middle Grade Books That Explore Death, Grief and Mourning list I shared back in February 2021. And when she starts to fall for Risa, she finds she’ll have to be more honest with herself and the people in her life to create a new love story of her own.įunny, romantic, and heartfelt, this is a story about secrets, lies, friendship, found family, an expired passport, a hidden VHS tape, fried pickles, the weird and wild city of Memphis, and, most of all, love. Searching for a new purpose, Lee recruits her old friend Max and new friend Risa to produce a podcast called “Objects of Destruction,” where they investigate whether love actually exists at all.īut the deeper they get into the love stories around them, the more Lee realizes that she’s the one who’s been holding love at arm’s length.

When their unexpected split, the loss of her job, and her parent’s announcement that they’re separating coincide, Lee’s plans, her art, and her life are thrown into turmoil. Until he breaks up with her on the air right after graduation.

Choi, this stunning coming-of-age novel from Printz Honor author Mary McCoy follows a Memphis teen whose quest to uncover the secrets of love reveals new truths about herself.įor the past two years, Lee has been laser-focused on two things: her job as a sound tech at a local coffee shop and her podcast “Artists in Love,” which she cohosts with her boyfriend Vincent.

Perfect for fans of What If It’s Us and Mary H. Publication Date June 15th 2021 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readersįind It On Goodreads

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