First published 2024
Ian Gray knows he's not supposed to have a dog, but rules seem meaningless when your world is falling apart. His adopted pup Gather becomes his constant companion as Ian quits basketball, finds work, and cares for his mother struggling with opioid addiction. The teenager refuses to let his family lose their rural Vermont home, no matter what sacrifices he must make. Ian discovers unexpected allies among his neighbors, who appreciate his outdoor skills and talent for repairs. His new friendships offer hope that maybe they can weather this crisis together. Then tragedy strikes without warning. Ian and Gather flee into the Vermont wilderness, running from a system that would strip away everything they've fought to protect. The community rallies to help, but Ian faces an impossible question: even if people want to save him, will there be anything left to come home to? This debut novel captures one boy's fierce determination to hold his fractured family together against overwhelming odds.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Vermont
Period: 21st-century
336 pages · Paperback · Candlewick Press
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use