Fans of Jandy Nelson and Marieke Nijkamp will love this deeply moving novel in verse about the aftermath of a gun accident.

Life changes forever for Liv when her older brother, Jonah, accidentally shoots himself with his best friend Clay’s father’s gun. Now Jonah needs round-the-clock care just to stay alive, and Liv feels like she’s the only person who can see that her brother is still there inside his broken body.

With Liv’s mom suing Clay’s family, there are divisions in the community that Liv knows she’s not supposed to cross. But Clay is her friend, too, and she refuses to turn away from him—just like she refuses to give up on Jonah.

This powerful novel is a stunning exploration of tragedy, grief, compassion, and forgiveness.

One accident. Two families torn apart. A girl caught in the middle.

• Told in Verse: Experience Liv’s raw, emotional journey through lyrical, fast-paced free verse that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.
• A Friendship in Turmoil: Liv refuses to abandon Clay, the best friend who was with her brother Jonah during the accident, even as their families and the entire community try to force them apart.
• Grief and Hope: A gripping exploration of what it means to care for someone trapped inside their own body, and the fight to hold on to hope when everyone else has let go.
• A Hard Look at Forgiveness: When a lawsuit turns neighbors into enemies, Liv must navigate a complex world of blame and compassion to find her own truth.