Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review“This arresting, heartbreaking, and meditative novel examines the desperation of anxiety and shows how, though difficult, gaining control of one’s life can lead both to living one’s best life and living life the best one can.” — Booklist (starred review) “At seventeen, Ocean is severely depressed, and she’s taking a gap year in New York City while her mom believes she’s attending university. . . . With gutting clarity, the prose depicts the surrealness and pain of living with derealization and suicidal ideation. . . . Zhang’s realistic portrayal of mental illness does not include external support such as seeking therapy, but it could be a great part of a display with additional resources on mental health and abusive relationships. Hand this to anyone trying their best wobbling through the precarious and precious parts of life.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) “A 17-year-old girl struggles through emotional and philosophical quandaries in New York City. . . . As Ocean is drawn closer to Constant, her own thoughts on life, reality, dying, the self, and language clash with his, creating an intriguing dynamic and a twist on the typical romance arc. Ocean’s original narration and worldview are immersive and sympathetic . . . A satisfying story arc exploring relationships with the self and others.” — Kirkus Reviews “Ocean has been wrestling with depression and suicidal ideation while balancing her Chinese immigrant mother’s high expectations with finding her own place in the world. . . . Employing leisurely pacing, Zhang meaningfully develops the characters’ dynamic relationships and intersecting paths toward adulthood, and Ocean and Constant’s poetic conversations and introspective ruminations provide plenty of fodder for philosophical discussion long after readers put down this reflective, romantic novel.” — Publishers Weekly “Mental health, fragile relationships, and life struggles in NYC all come together in this atmospheric novel. . . . As Ocean struggles financially, emotionally, and mentally, things spiral out of her control. . . . When she ends up in jail for a misdemeanor, Ocean will have to face the fact that she’s losing control of her own life.” — School Library Journal
