For This Life Only

August 22, 2016
When the twin sons of a preacher die in a car wreck, only one is revived. Now the life that Jacob Palmer knew has been extinguished, along with his hopes of a baseball scholarship. As his family implodes, Jacob grapples with his parents' religious devotion, painfully aware of the nothingness he felt in the moments before he was resuscitated, and tries to uncover brother Eli's final secret. In a striking meditation on grief, blame, fate, and losing one's faith, Kade (The Ghost and the Goth) exposes the layers of Jacob's loss from numerous angles, including the fact that Eli was always the "good twin," dutifully responding the night Jacob called for a ride. In a physical education class for "broken and damaged people," Jacob finds a kindred spirit in Thera, whom Eli had been tutoring. At the heart of Kade's reflective story is a philosophical tug of war between right and wrong, knowing the difference, and the relief that can be found in making a choice even when there are no clear answers. Ages 14âup. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media.

June 15, 2016
When Jacob's near-death experience fails to live up to his Christian beliefs, he is desperate to find out the truth. The person he turns to in his fear and doubt shocks even him.After a car accident takes his brother's life and leaves him seriously injured, 16-year-old Jace cannot shake the feeling that the wrong twin died. Eli was an exemplary student, a talented debater, and the pastor's model son. Jace, the troubled one, dreams of the day when he can finally escape the scrutiny of his family and his father's church. Overwhelmed by guilt and doubt, the white teen is desperate for answers. When his faith wavers, he turns to the only person who seems to neither blame him nor hate him: Thera, also white and the local psychic's daughter. Thera speaks of a different kind of belief, one where you can choose your own doctrine. Kade's contemplation of life and the afterlife is unflinching, and Jace's journey through his grief is messy, raw, and, above all, real. Spot-on dialogue and an authentic voice keep this story fresh. The only misstep is Jace's father; legalistic and rigid, he lacks depth or complexity. Poignant and powerful. (Fiction. 14-18)

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June 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-High school student Jacob Palmer has escaped Christmas family time overload to go to a party with friends-unfortunately, he has no ride home. Jace begs his disapproving twin, Elijah, to pick him up. Eli has always been the "good" one, the true preacher's kid, but a night that feels like any other is suddenly not. A violent accident leaves one twin permanently scarred and the other dead-the wrong twin, in everyone's opinion. Struggling through the atmosphere of constant self-blame and guilt, Jace attempts to normalize life without Eli, but disturbing memories of their last night keep coming back. Kade's writing effectively conveys loss; readers can feel the trauma of losing not only a family member but also a sense of belonging. A few of the characters run to formulaic conventions-the intolerant Christian father and the quirky outcast love interest, Thera Catoulus-however, through their interactions, Jace's character authentically engages in introspection and emotional wandering. One of the main conflicts, the Riverwood church administration's planned takeover of Catoulus family land, comes to an unlikely and abrupt conclusion but is satisfying for those wanting a happy ending. VERDICT An accurate depiction of a tragic teen experience; a solid addition to general fiction collections.-Michael Marie Jacobs, Darlington School, GA

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