Lost in the Sun

Starred review from March 16, 2015
Less than a year ago, 12-year-old Trent Zimmerman accidentally contributed to the death of his teammate Jared during a hockey game, after nailing him with a puck (Jared had a “bad heart”). Already prone to overthinking, Trent is overwhelmed by disturbing thoughts, which he draws in a closely guarded book, and very angry. He backs away from his best friend, acts out at school, and clashes with his family. With help from a persistent classmate, who is known as much for the large scar on her face as for her weird outfits, and a similarly dedicated teacher, Trent is gradually able to let go of his intense guilt and regain his confidence. Trent’s barely
constrained rage is visceral, and the moments when he lashes out, verbally and physically, are as frightening as they are realistic. In an ambitious and gracefully executed story, Graff (Absolutely Almost) covers a lot of emotional ground, empathically tracing Trent’s efforts to deal with a horrible, inexplicable accident and to heal the relationships that have become collateral damage along the way. Ages 10–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.

Starred review from March 1, 2015
When internal anger turns into outward rage, one middle school misfit must find a solution or risk ruining everything that matters.Trent Zimmerman can't help it. It's not his fault that his dad hates him, and his teacher, the old crone, hates him, and his old friends hate him. Only, well, he feels so guilty. Maybe it is his fault. Ever since the accident back in February, when Trent accidentally hit a hockey puck into Jared Richards with catastrophic results, his life has been turned upside down. When middle school starts in the fall, Trent believes it's a chance to start fresh, only it doesn't take long for him to realize that no one has forgotten what happened to Jared-especially Trent. Now his anger is getting bigger and bigger, pushing against his insides and making Trent lash out. If that isn't crazy enough, he finds himself in a bizarro friendship with terribly scarred Fallon Little, who just might be able to teach Trent how to value himself. Graff writes with stunning insight into boyhood and humanity, allowing Trent to speak for himself in a pained, honest narration. Investing Trent with all the tragic frailty of Holden Caulfield, Graff tackles issues of loss, isolation, and rage without apology.Graff consistently demonstrates why character-driven novels can live from generation to generation, and here she offers a story that can survive for many school years to come. (Fiction. 9-12)

Starred review from April 1, 2015

Gr 4-8-Trent Zimmerman is consumed by rage. The universe has been manifestly unfair to him and he doesn't know how to handle it. Seven months ago, he struck a hockey puck at a bad angle, sending it like a missile into the chest of a boy with a previously undiagnosed heart ailment. That boy died and Trent feels responsible. And he's furious about it. He can no longer bring himself to play sports (at which he used to excel) since he has panic attacks any time he tries. He's sure everyone hates him, except maybe for his mom and his older brother, and he doesn't blame them. His father and stepmother seem to prefer his brothers and he thinks that's understandable. He tries to expel his morbid, angry thoughts by drawing in a journal. He doesn't know if that makes things better. He feels like a screwup, so he deliberately screws up even more. And makes more people angry with him, which is what he feels he deserves. Into this maelstrom comes Fallon, a fellow sixth-grader whose face bears a large and mysterious scar. For some reason, she seems to like spending time with Trent and-almost against his will-he starts to like spending time with her. Graff takes readers through Trent's gradual process of coming to terms with the tragic accident and his recognition that, while he can't change the past, he can control his present behavior to influence his future. While Trent makes multiple bad decisions and his impulsivity is a constant liability, he's also funny, sensitive, and kind. Fallon is a firecracker and the two of them are a lot of fun together. It's a mark of Graff's skill that readers can easily discern and appreciate complexities behind the behaviors of every character in the novel without having them explicitly delineated. VERDICT Weighty matters deftly handled with humor and grace will give this book wide appeal.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2015
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Middle school is tough, but try getting through sixth grade after accidentally killing someone with a hockey puck. Such is Trent Zimmerman's misfortune. Wracked with guilt and anger, he is never without his Book of Thoughts, the sketchbook where he draws the awful images he can't get out of his brain. Sure that everyone hates him, Trent acts out at school, shuts out friends, and is overcome by sweaty panic at the thought of playing sports again. Life is difficult at home, too, where his parents' divorce has resulted in a contentious relationship with his father. Relief comes in the eccentric form of Fallon Little, a girl with a mysterious scar and an indomitable spirit. But Fallon has her secrets as well. The emotions and motivations coursing through this novel are wonderfully complex. Graff creates layered, vulnerable characters who are worth getting to know and rooting for. Narrated by the moody, sarcastic Trent, the story never buckles beneath his troubles, and it finds wings once he can see beyond them. Pranks, The Sandlot reenactments, sports talk, and doughnuts are in plentiful supply, adding dashes of levity at the right moments. The book's real magic is found in simple acts like watering plants and learning when to listen and when to just tip your head back and scream at the sky.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)