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Description
Devastated by her younger brother's death during a family vacation, fifteen-year-old Shiv is consumed by grief and guilt. Her family sends her to an exclusive clinic that promises to help teenagers like her heal from emotional trauma. As she immerses herself in the facility's treatment program, Shiv must confront whether true recovery comes from facing her pain or escaping it.
Quick Summary
If you've ever felt like grief made you into someone you didn't recognize, this book will hit you hard. Shiv's story is raw and honest she's not some perfect protagonist, she's a teenager drowning in guilt after her little brother's death, and the clinic she gets sent to is more complicated than it first appears. The setting itself feels like a character, tense and a little unsettling, which keeps you turning pages even when the emotional weight gets heavy. It's a great pick for teens who like psychological stories with real stakes, similar to the darker side of We Need to Talk About Kevin or for anyone who enjoyed A Little Life but wants something more plot-driven. Parents should know it deals with death, grief, trauma, and has some mild profanity and sexual references, so it's best for older high schoolers who can handle those themes. What makes it stick with you is how it doesn't wrap everything up neatly it's messy and real and leaves you thinking about it long after you finish.