by Kate Kennedy
First published 2012
Tess arrives at Cape High School on the Maine coast as the new girl, overshadowed by her brother Pat, who immediately becomes the school's basketball sensation. While Pat effortlessly wins over classmates and teammates, Tess takes her time finding her place in this coastal community. She watches her popular brother navigate his newfound status, but something troubling emerges beneath his athletic success. Pat's obsessive-compulsive disorder begins consuming him, pulling him away from the normal teenage life he appeared to master so easily. His rituals and compulsions intensify until reality itself seems to slip from his grasp. Tess faces an impossible question as Pat's condition worsens. She must decide what sacrifices she will make and what risks she will take to help the brother who seems to be disappearing before her eyes. This story explores the weight of family loyalty when mental illness threatens to destroy someone you love.
Genres: mental-illness, contemporary, young-adult, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Cape High School, Maine
Period: contemporary
166 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: mental-illness