Crash into Me

July 27, 2009
In this powerful debut, Borris follows a group of teenagers, each of whom has attempted suicide. Jin-Ae (a studious lesbian), Frank (a dejected sports lover), Nirvana-obsessed Audrey and lonely narrator Owen meet in a chat room and make a pact to take a cross-country “Celebrity Suicide Road Trip,” stopping at the graves of Hunter S. Thompson, Kurt Cobain and others (“We're visiting our suicide family—our people,” says Owen). They plan to kill themselves when they reach Death Valley. The well-developed characters have distinct reasons and histories that led to their earlier suicide attempts (a breakup, the death of a sibling). Their conversations over the weeks are tense, candid and often tempered with snarky humor: “Nothing like a four-way suicide pact to get you going in the morning,” says Jin-Ae. Interspersed with chat-room flashbacks and Top 10 lists, Owen's delicate and insightful narrative voice carries the novel: “I suppose it doesn't matter what form love takes; maybe we just need to take it when it comes.” It's a strikingly real account of an improvised family and the ways people change and grow. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2009
Gr 9 Up-Introverted Owen, brash confabulator Audrey, struggling lesbian Jin-Ae, and alcoholic Frank don't seem to have much in common, but they bond online over a shared interest: to commit suicide. Some of them have already made repeated attempts, and now they make a pact. They take a cross-country road trip from New Jersey, visiting the graves of famous people who have killed themselves, that will culminate at Death Valley. There, they will take their own livesno backing down, no changes of heart. But as they crisscross the states, these isolated, unhappy teens begin to connect over more than just their desire to die; as they share their darkest secrets and most cherished wishes, real friendship and even romantic love develop. As the end of their trip grows closer, the time comes to decide: Is life worth living in spite of the pain, or do they keep their deadly promise? Borris's understanding of the emotional lives of teenagers shines through in his nuanced, well-developed portrayals of the protagonists, particularly Owen, the narrator, who emerges as a wry and wise observer of his companions. The action never feels pat or predetermined, and the author's depiction of the complexities of depression and suicide is compassionate, nonjudgmental, and ultimately hopeful. This first novel is a gripping addition to YA collections."Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2009
Grades 8-12 Owen is a walking encyclopedia of information about suicide. And no wonderhe has already tried to kill himself six times, and now he is on a road trip with three other self-destructive teens. Their plan: visit the graves of celebrity suicides en route to Death Valley, where they will all then off themselves. Or will they? Borris first novel tackles a formerly off-limits subject for YA fiction with sensitivity and a wide-ranging factual subtext about suicide, its causes, and its cures (the author works as a student assistance counselor and seems to know whereof he writes). The four teens involved remain more types than fully realized characters, and the author is no stylist, but give him credit for tackling an important subject that needs addressing. Kids in search of a more sophisticatedand literarytreatment will want to read Nick Hornbys terrific adult novel A Long Way Down (2005).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)