If There's No Tomorrow

July 24, 2017
In her final year of high school, Lena Wise learns that one split-second decision can alter the future. Four lives are lost after Lena reluctantly lets an inebriated friend drive home from a party. Racked with guilt and struggling to admit the truth of what happened, Lena pushes her friends away, including Sebastian, her best friend and longtime crush, who has just started to become something more. With a powerful message about the destructive effects of drunk driving and the far-reaching consequences of small decisions, Armentrout (The Problem with Forever) presents an effective story of raw grief and gradual acceptance. Lena’s guilt is almost tangible (“Talking openly about the accident, about everything leading up to it, just made me want to take a wire brush to my memories”); readers will easily understand her difficulty in moving forward, accepting help and comfort from those around her, and finding a way to forgive herself. Lena’s budding romance with Sebastian fits well within the narrative, illustrating that life goes on even in the darkest of times. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary.