Ann Jacobus

Finalist for the 2023 California Book Award for YA Literature. Eighteen-year-old Del is in a healthier place than she was a year and a half ago: She's sober, getting treatment for her depression and anxiety, and volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline. Her own suicide attempt is in the past, and living in San Francisco with her beloved aunt has helped her see a future for herself. But when Aunt Fran is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Del's equilibrium is shattered. As she struggles to care for her aunt, along with a looming first semester of college, and a visiting childhood crush, she has no choice but to prepare herself for the inevitable. Del must confront her own demons and rethink everything she thought she knew about life and death. "Jacobus has done a beautiful job with many difficult subjects, striking just the right tone and treating her highly sympathetic characters with dignity and compassion." BOOKLIST "Intensely emotional and honest." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY Readers "interested in mental and physical health will closely follow Del’s interactions with her family, fellow AA attendees, Nick, the crisis line callers, and Fran’s hospice coordinator, who helps Del understand the place of death within human existence. San Francisco forms a strong backdrop to this thought-provoking novel. Honestly and courageously explores sensitive topics.” KIRKUS "A beautiful story of love, hope, and resilience...an extremely thoughtful and moving examination of death that focuses on the honor of being with someone when they die. A complex read that isn’t easy but is worth it.” SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL TEEN LIBRARIAN TOOLBOX