First published 2012
The family thought moving to New York would be a fresh start. But when their nearly sixteen-year-old son turns down the advances of a young girl, their American dream becomes something else entirely. What should have been a simple relocation transforms into something far more complicated and disturbing. The rejection sets off a chain of events that pulls the entire family into a nightmare they never anticipated. Schulman explores how a single moment of refusal can unravel the careful plans parents make for their children's futures. The family finds themselves navigating consequences they couldn't have foreseen, discovering that even the most innocent interactions can spiral beyond control. At its heart, this is a story about how quickly safety can disappear and how family bonds are tested when the world turns hostile.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: consequences, family-bonds-tested, safety-disappearing
Setting: New York
Period: 21st-century
241 pages · Paperback · Anthos
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness