by Pete Hautman
First published 2005
Doug spends his time alone with his elaborate model train collection. His childhood friend Andy moves in different circles now, starring on the football team and in school plays. The two boys seem to have nothing in common anymore. Doug remains a loner who finds comfort in the precise world of miniature locomotives and carefully constructed landscapes. Andy navigates the social demands of high school popularity. Yet something deeper connects them, a friendship forged in childhood that persists despite their divergent paths. Doug struggles with the gap between his isolated reality and Andy's busy social life. Their bond faces the test of growing up and growing apart. The story explores how friendship survives when two people become strangers to each other's worlds.
Genres: family-life, friendship, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers
Period: High School
Hardcover · Thorndike Press