The Opposite of Falling Apart

January 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-When Brennan meets Jonas during a minor fender bender, she has no idea that it is one of his first times driving after a traumatic car accident in which he lost his leg, and Jonas doesn't know about Brennan's struggles with anxiety. But they both know that the other is intriguing. After that, their lives keep intersecting and the two of them are drawn to each other though they are both working through their own issues, which often makes their connection difficult to sustain. The romance, a slow burn with an occasionally contrived feel, is not the focal point of the story. Rather, the heart of this novel is the emotional development of the characters and how they are learning to live with their disabilities. Brennan's life with an anxiety disorder is particularly well-drawn, and Jonas's experience as an amputee is well researched, if stereotyped. The deliberate pace of the story may deter some readers while others will appreciate the realistically slow course of the eventual romance. VERDICT An emotional and ultimately sweet story that explores college life through the lens of disability.-Mindy Rhiger, Hennepin County Library, MN

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2019
Two teens must face their fears to save their relationship. After losing his left leg in a car accident, Jonas wants a fresh start in college, away from pitying looks and his mom's protectiveness. But he can't bear to talk about his leg, and driving triggers post-traumatic flashbacks. Brennan knows about panic; she'd rather be writing than exposing her severe anxiety to college's unpredictability. The teens' paths collide, sparking a prickly friendship, but as their intimacy deepens, their insecurities threaten to drive them apart. Much of the tension unfolds in the protagonists' heads; the author meticulously describes their respective struggles as they learn to trust themselves and each other. Their gradual romance is touching, albeit predictable. The emotional toll of Jonas' disability and trauma on his family--particularly his older brother, who was driving--is believable, as is Brennan's dad's insensitivity toward her anxiety. Unfortunately, copious and often extraneous exposition bogs down the pacing and dilutes the emotional impact. Though Brennan's ambivalent, inconsistent use of anti-anxiety medication is a realistic plot point, its lack of resolution is frustrating. The book situates whiteness as the default; Jonas' mother is described simply as half Vietnamese--the family's background otherwise is not specified--and her portrayal lacks nuance. Brennan appears to be white; and Brennan's college roommate from India has an Urdu given name and Sikh or Punjabi surname, a circumstance which is not explained. A realistic, but wordy, portrayal of coping with anxiety and trauma. (Romance. 14-18)

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