Phoebe Will Destroy You

March 15, 2018
One teenager's summer idyll: beer, partying, pot, food, and flirtation with girls.Shipped off from Eugene, Oregon, to stay with small-beach-town relatives while his alcoholic mom recovers from her latest stint in rehab, 17-year-old Nick soon finds himself hanging out with the locals, including his cousin Emily's circle. Among the latter is Jace, who turns out, despite a botched kiss and a few other amusing (to readers, anyway) fumbles, to be easy to talk to and be with: a comfy, obvious soul mate. But it's mysterious, intoxicating Phoebe, glamorously taciturn and distant, who comes to fill Nick's field of vision, spark weeks of obsession, and, finally, casually, take him to bed ("creating," as he rapturously puts it, "this vortex of incredible bliss"). There are few explicit details, but along with detailing snacks and fistfights, Nick frankly describes both his previous (limited) love life and some steamy snogging as he carries his account to summer's end. Both Jace and Phoebe and, come to that, Nick's toxic mom and the rest of the apparently all-white cast, are cardboard standees, but Nick carries the tale, being such a clearheaded, fundamentally decent sort that he's never in any danger of taking or inflicting any serious harm.A frothy bit of envelope pushing. (Fiction. 14-17)

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April 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Another insightful revelation of a teenage boy living a not-so-wonderful life. Nick is 17, smart, funny, cute, and mostly carefree. It is the summer before his senior year of high school. He has everything going for him, except for his alcoholic mother who has turned everyone's life upside-down and is home from a three-month stint at a resort-style rehab. Nick goes to live in the nearby town of Seaside with his aunt, uncle, and cousins for the summer to get away from his home situation and come to grips with the life he has now. Nelson writes with emotion and understanding. The characters are real and poignant. From the title, teens will anticipate that Phoebe is bad news, but they will feel for Nick when he falls in love and has his heart ripped from his chest. Nelson writes about the high school boy with honesty: feeling love for the first time and describing the intensity of the joy and the ache with authenticity. Sex, drugs, alcohol, violence, and language are part of the story, which makes it even more appealing for its target audience. VERDICT A first buy for all libraries serving teens.-Christina Paolozzi, Bonaire Elementary School, GA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 16, 2018
Things have been tense at 17-year-old Nick’s home since his alcoholic mother, a renowned college professor, has returned from rehab. So, Nick is relieved when his father arranges for him to go away for the summer, even if it’s only to a “hick” beach town to stay with his aunt, uncle, and cousins, which couldn’t be more different from the college town of Eugene, Ore., where Nick was raised. It doesn’t take long, though, for him to settle into his job at his uncle’s car wash and start partying with some of the locals. After he becomes attracted to Phoebe, a slightly older girl who carries an aura of mystery, his interest turns to obsession, and Nick finds himself on a slippery slope, holding fast to romantic fantasies that can never come true. With a cinematographer’s eye, Nelson (Recovery Road) captures the essence of small-town life, as well as the various forms of escape people use to forget their desperation. Nick’s inner transformations are gradual and realistic, allowing readers to understand how
significantly he has been impacted by his troubled home life and to empathize with his struggle to navigate overwhelming emotions. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.