by K. L. Going
First published 2011
Alexis Coston maintains her perfect image at every moment. She carries a 4.0 GPA and builds an flawless resume while keeping herself composed around the clock. Across town lives Lina Dorsay, whose beauty masks secrets that puzzle everyone around her. The two girls attend Fayetteville Prep but exist in separate worlds, sharing no conversations or connections. Everything shifts on an ordinary spring afternoon. Lina steps outside to find Alexis collapsed in her driveway, pale and barely conscious. This unexpected moment shatters what Lina believed about the girl who seemed to have everything figured out. As the two begin to talk, they realize their carefully constructed facades hide similar struggles. Neither girl expected anyone to truly see past their surface. Alexis discovers that someone can look beyond her need for control. Lina finds that her isolation doesn't have to define her. Together, they offer each other understanding they never knew they craved. Their unlikely friendship becomes the foundation both needed to face their hidden challenges.
Genres: friendship, contemporary, young-adult, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unlikely-friendship
Setting: Fayetteville Prep
234 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness