The Beginner's Guide to Living

Starred review from September 27, 2010
After his mother is killed in a traffic accident, high school senior Will feels nothing at first. Then, at his mother's wake, he falls in love with Taryn, the daughter of family friends ("I am the king of bad timing. Only a monster could think of love"). Pained by his loss, frustrated by his father and brother, and confused by his infatuation, Will begins to question life's meaning. His quest draws him to books from the likes of Seneca and Nietzsche, a passionate relationship with Taryn, experimentation with drugs, and some unlikely mentors. In this acutely insightful first novel, Australian author Hill laces Will's pained journey with the questions he lists in a notebook ("Do my mother's memories live in me?"), philosophical quotations, and his own memories of his mother. Almost nothing escape Will's notice (though his perceptiveness alone doesn't produce answers), and the mosaic of imagery and musings in his poetic, staccato narration offers thought-provoking ideas about grief and the universal drive to find a purpose. Although this novel begins with a death, it is a celebration of life, companionship, and love. Ages 14–up.