Description

The most personal and tender novel yet from Patrick Ness, the twice Carnegie Medal-winning author of A Monster Calls.

It’s Saturday, it’s summer and, although he doesn’t know it yet, everything in Adam Thorn’s life is going to fall apart. But maybe, just maybe, he’ll find freedom from the release. Time is running out though, because way across town, a ghost has risen from the lake… This uplifting coming-of-age novel will remind you what it’s like to fall in love.

Publisher Review

" "Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway meets Judy Blume's Forever" is as good a pitch as I've heard this year, and this beautifully crafted, complex novel which Ness calls his most personal yet, does not disappoint. [...] Told with real tenderness, it's a brilliant portrayal of the intensity of a teenager's inner life." * The Bookseller * Ness once again demonstrates his profound understanding of the complexities of being a young adult, and of the human condition more generally ... Heartbreaking, intense and acutely honest, this novel casts a subtle spell of hope. * LoveReading4Kids, Joanne Owen * It's signature Ness in many ways, particularly in how it sensitively and maturely deals with the horrors - and the ecstasies - of teenage life. [...] Based loosely on ness' own experience growing up, it's here that the novel really shines; Adam's insecurities and struggle with his parents' beliefs are heartbreaking. Ness' fictional worlds are littered with fantastic characters: Adam I a wonderful addition to the panoply. * List.co.uk * A gripping, soulful novel about a life-changing day, which will surely change the lives of those who read it. [...] Partly modelled on two of the author's most admired books (Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever), with this remarkable novel Ness once again demonstrates his profound understanding of the complexities of being a young adult, and of the human condition more generally. Adam's story is pinpricked with truly nerve-touching moments, perhaps most poignantly between him and the overbearing father he fears coming-out to. At one point his dad reveals that he wishes Adam could be honest with him, and then Adam begins to let go. While revealing truths can be excruciatingly painful, doing so might also bring refreshing, life-affirming release. Heartbreaking, intense and acutely honest, this novel casts a subtle spell of hope. * Joanne Owen, LoveReading * "The main plot is huge fun, with vivid believable characters relatable problems and entertaining dialogue." * SFX Magazine *