Overview

It's Nova's final year of high school and everything is on track for an amazing year. She's going to ace all her studies and go on to be a doctor. She's got a spot on the swim team. And she's in love for the first time--with Leo, the captain of the swim team. But things don't turn out quite like Nova had planned. As her relationship with Leo intensifies, so does her obsession with him and her jealousy over his so-called friendship with another girl. The tighter she tries to hold on to him, the more he seems to pull away. The constant worry about the future of their relationship sends Nova spiraling into depression. Even she can't believe how badly she's handling things now. But could there be another reason for it, one she doesn't even want to admit to herself?

Full Product Details

9781459416710

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""The novel . . . confronts significant contemporary issues in a narrative that never flags. VERDICT Recommended for high school libraries.""--School Library Journal -- (2/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)"

The novel . . . confronts significant contemporary issues in a narrative that never flags. VERDICT Recommended for high school libraries. --School Library Journal -- (2/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

From a dramatic, italicized opening passage involving a lot of blood ('First things first. I need to clean up and destroy evidence.'), readers are dropped into what seems a conventional high school narrative. Senior Nova Foley is dating Leo, a popular classmate and star swimmer. They're a sort of power couple. Both are looking forward to college, less affluent Nova staying in Toronto and living at home, Leo blithely heading off to Michigan and competitive swimming without her. After they celebrate her birthday with a first sexual experience, Leo begins to grow distant. Though he says he's consumed with swimming, he seems to be spending more time with swim teammate Jada. Gradually, Nova pitches from manageable depression into a mental health crisis, binge eating, completely withdrawing socially, and lashing out at Jada. The novel closes with a return to the opening scene and a wild plot twist that complicates Nova's ambition to pursue a path to medical school. Sex between the teens is a frequent topic, though it's never described in graphic detail. Despite some common tropes and occasionally breezy storytelling, the novel, written at a third grade reading level, confronts significant contemporary issues in a narrative that never flags. VERDICT Recommended for high school libraries. --School Library Journal -- (2/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

Author Information

LORNA SCHULTZ NICHOLSON has written picture books, middle grade, YA Fiction and non-fiction. She was nominated for the Forest of Reading award five years in a row. She has also been nominated for many other Canadian awards (MYRCA, Willow Awards, Alberta Literary, Red Cedar, Hackmatack), and her books are often on the CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens list. Lorna loves author visits, and presents all over Canada, instilling her love of reading and writing! She lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available