A story that begins where too many others end, this stunningly

written and unflinchingly authentic #ownvoices tale of love, loss, and hope

will touch fans of All the Bright Places and Girl in Pieces.

Life’s tough when you didn’t expect to be living it. But now that Journey has a future, she apparently also has

to figure out what that future’s supposed to look like.

Some days the pain feels as fresh as that day: the day she

attempted suicide. Her parents don’t know how to speak to her. Her best friend

cracks all the wrong jokes. Her bipolar II disorder feels like it swallows her

completely.

But other days—they feel like revelations. Like meeting the dazzling

Etta, a city college student who is a world unto herself. Or walking into the

office of the volunteer hotline, and discovering a community as simultaneously

strong and broken as she is.

Or uncovering the light within herself that she didn’t know

existed.

Praise for Faith Gardner’s The Second Life of Ava Rivers:

“A beautiful, moving, and thoughtful story about how far

we’re willing to go for family.” —Kathleen Glasgow, New

York Times 

“This remarkable novel reproduces the personal

and family trauma associated with the loss and recovery of a missing child. The Second Life of Ava Rivers is an enthralling tale.”  —Voice of Youth

Advocates (VOYA) 

“Gardner’s unforgettable voice blends Jodi

Picoult’s emotional, ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling with Mindy

McGinnis’s unflinchingly honest protagonists.”  —Booklist (starred

review

“Gardner brings a unique tenderness focused on the human dynamics

of creating family and individual identity in the face of tragedy.”  —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred

review)

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.