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and the actual party,
full of excitement and anticipation,
and I haven't been let down yet."
Brewen is turning eighteen and about to leave the most stable foster home she has had out of many. Her best friend, Destiny, is also leaving. Destiny is going away to college on a hard-earned scholarship. When Brewen causes a fire the day before her birthday, she flees to the comfort of Destiny. Destiny hides Brewen, and they formulate a plan to have Brewen secretly stay in the dorms with Destiny. The demands of college and Brewen's necessary job keep the two from spending as much time together as they would like. Destiny is engaged in her studies and interested in the boy in the green shirt, who is in one of her classes. Brewen doesn't trust him but doesn't have a good way to express this. When Destiny tries to spend more time with the boy at a party, Brewen sees something happening that causes her to feel she needs to intervene.
O'Neill-Sheehan's story is crafted as a novel in verse format and targeted at a young adult audience. One thing that stands out is the author's care with the verse elements. She uses line breaks, rhyme, alliteration, and other elements of poetry much better than what is found in most stories in this style. Some of her one and/or two-line compositions can penetrate to the heart of her intention. The writing and format are easy to read, allowing the book to be completed in one or two sessions. She has a twist in her tale which most readers will spot before it is revealed, but that is not the kind of spoiler it can be in other genres. The teen crowd who enjoy novels in verse and those who hug Ellen Hopkins' books close to their chests will likely discover this book to be their next favorite read.
A 2025 Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalist