Awards
- Nominated for Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2023
- Short-listed for IBBY Honour List 2024
- Short-listed for Literacy Association of Ireland (LAI) Biennial Book Awards 2023: Young Adult Category 2023
Overview
Saoirse (18) can’t wait to leave school – but just before the Leaving Cert her ex-boyfriend dies by suicide. Everyone blames Saoirse – even Saoirse herself, who cheated on him with his best friend. She is shunned by her schoolmates and suffers unbearable levels of anxiety. Everything becomes too much, and on the night of the school Debs, Saoirse throws herself into the river – and wakes up in a psychiatric hospital. Slowly, painfully, with the support of a friendly hospital cleaner, her old best friend, her kind and hilarious grandmother, and even her irritating sister, Saoirse regains her sense of herself. Eventually she is ready for a new life at University.
Full Product Details
Author: Helena Close
Publisher: Little Island
Imprint: Little Island
ISBN: 9781915071033
ISBN 10: 1915071038
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 05 May 2022
Recommended Age: From 14 years
Audience:
Young adult
,
Teenage / Young adult
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
Honest, unflinching, compassionate ... and powerful. This is the book we need now. * Fallen Star Stories * An engaging, thought-provoking, moving read that sheds light on the realities of depression while offering honest glimmers of hope. * LoveReading Expert Review * Close has a great ear for dialogue and a keen eye for the often-stifling dynamics of small-town life ... Read it - and buy a second copy to thrust into the hands of the next platitude-utterer you encounter. -- The Irish Times Tells a compelling story ... without flinching from tackling dark topics including mental health and suicide. * The Limerick Post * An accurate portrayal of a young person's challenges, this book is also full of hope, love and laughter. * The Sunday Independent * A beautifully crafted story. * Paper Lanterns * A bittersweet, honest look at loss and trauma. * Kirkus Reviews *
Honest, unflinching, compassionate ... and powerful. This is the book we need now. * Fallen Star Stories * An engaging, thought-provoking, moving read that sheds light on the realities of depression while offering honest glimmers of hope. * LoveReading Expert Review *
Praise for Helena Close's previous work A wonderful storyteller. Joseph O'Connor. Close is an incredible storyteller. Books Ireland Magazine
Author Information
Helena Close is a native of Limerick City in Ireland. She has been writing full-time for over 20 years. She has written or co-written eight novels, published by Hodder Headline, Hachette Ireland, Little Island and Blackstaff Press. She is Munster Rugby obsessed, and she loves cats and dogs and sometimes people.
