Our Chemical Hearts

August 1, 2016
Anyone who has felt the ache of first love will relate to Henry Page, a bookish high school senior unexpectedly swept off his feet. Henry, who has never had a girlfriend, isn’t immediately attracted to new student Grace Town, who enters the school with a conspicuous limp, “dressed head to toe in guys’ clothing” (“I’d seen junkies that looked in better shape than she did that morning,” Henry says). Yet after Grace and Henry are asked to co-edit the school newspaper, his interest in her grows, fueled by Grace’s on-again-off-again flirting. As romance blossoms, secrets about Grace’s past and current situation emerge, and Henry begins to think that Grace may be beyond his help. Eloquently conveying the complexity of love and grief, debut novelist Sutherland creates a story filled with intriguing and memorable characters. Henry’s quirky friends, dry-witted parents, and rebel-turned-neuroscientist sister (who offers sage advice on matters of the heart) add touches of brightness to this dark romance. Ages 14–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management.

Two teenagers suffer through their first heartbreak.Henry Page has spent his high school years with his nose to the grindstone, avoiding romantic relationships and focusing on becoming the editor of the school paper. At the start of his senior year Henry is offered the job, but there's a catch: transfer student Grace Town is offered the gig as well, making the two white teens co-editors. Sparks fly as Henry works with the aloof, unkempt new girl, who walks with a cane. As Henry and Grace grow closer, Henry falls deeper for her even as he learns just how broken she is. In her debut, Sutherland mixes her love story with equal parts hope and ominous dread. There is never any doubt that this couple is marching toward romantic oblivion, but it's an effectively drawn journey. The characters speak with a John Green-esque voice, but they are never overbearingly precocious. Narrator Henry's a smartly rendered character, a decent kid who has goals and works hard to achieve them. His new goal is Grace's affection, and the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object that is Grace's emotional unavailability provides the novel some of its sharpest moments. When the walls tumble down, the connection between the two is clearly an unhealthy one, and the author pulls no punches, devastating Henry, Grace, and readers in equal measure. An emotionally engaging and draining debut. (Fiction. 12-16) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Henry Page always thought love would be simple, and then he meets transfer student Grace Town. Grace is a mystery, with her pronounced limp, unflattering boys' clothes, and penchant for intense poetry. When she is recruited to be an editor of the school newspaper, which Henry is finally helming, life gets complicated very quickly. Intrigued by Grace's intelligence and her bizarre behavior, the protagonist is soon way over his head in a relationship that is, by turns, disturbing, charming, and eerily romantic. He tries to unravel Grace's story while surrounded by his family and friends, who are quirky in ways that are mostly delightful and occasionally annoying. There are Henry's oddball parents, his brilliant older sister (formerly an infamous juvenile delinquent), and his best friends Lola and Murray. A heartsick Australian Romeo whose antics provide some comic relief, Murray never becomes more than a sight gag; Lola, however, infuses the book with knowing dialogue and a fair amount of heart. The ups and downs of Henry and Grace's relationship will give students a genuine portrait of what it is like to be drawn to someone who may not be good for you but who will teach you something about yourself and others. VERDICT Despite occasional false notes, this book delves far deeper than the typical high school romance, and its savvy wordplay and Henry's self-deprecating charm will win over fans of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower and John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.-Sara Scribner, Athens Academy, GA

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