by Dan Santat
First published 2023
Dan does everything right. He follows his teachers' instructions, accompanies his mother to buy groceries, and avoids getting into trouble. None of this protects him from bullies or makes him feel less invisible at his middle school. When his parents sign him up for a European class trip, Dan expects more of the same treatment from the girls who mock him daily. His teacher pushes him to join the journey, though Dan can't figure out why. The trip starts exactly as Dan predicted, with familiar faces delivering familiar cruelty. But something shifts as the group moves through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England. Dan tastes his first Fanta and tries fondue for the first time. He steals a bicycle from German punk rockers and experiences his first romantic feelings. Each new encounter builds on the last, reshaping how Dan sees himself and his place in the world. These moments of discovery become stepping stones toward a different version of himself, one he never imagined possible back home.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: England, France, Germany, Switzerland
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Hardcover · First Second