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A poignant coming-of-age novel about two best friends whose friendship is tested when they get the opportunity to leave their impoverished small town for an elite prep school. For fans of Looking for Alaska .Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen. But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he has to leave behind. Jeff Zentner's new novel is a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.
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I have been raving a lot about Jeff Zentner on the podcast, and his latest release solidifies his standing as one of my favorite YA authors and solidifies his holding in our 2022 Book Club year.
Cash and Delaney are dear friends that have the shared experience of being children of addicts and growing up in a small Appalachian town. So when Delaney receives a scholarship offer to an elite school, she accepts only because she can bring Cash with her on the same scholarship acceptance.
Cash should be thrilled to get this offer but feels conflicted because his grandfather is raising him and battling emphysema. With their encouragement, though, he takes the coveted spot at the school. It's through the support of one teacher; Cash begins to find his voice, people, and someone to call his own.
The audiobook narration is just gorgeous and brings Zentner's story to life even more.
I would highly recommend doing it in this format if you can make the space for it.
Zentner does coming-of-age stories SO WELL, and the storytelling in this one is superb. I couldn't stop listening to this gorgeous read and loved how Cash evolved through this story.
This is, absolutely, my favorite YA book of the year.
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03.5.
This book and the writing were really beautiful. I felt it was somewhat slow paced even though I was invested in the story and characters.
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