by Tom Reamy
First published 2021
Detweiler moves through his days in a quiet American town where nothing seems to happen and everything matters. He walks familiar streets, sits in classes where teachers drone about distant wars and algebraic equations, and watches his classmates pair off for dances he won't attend. Twilla understands his restlessness without needing explanations. She sees the way he stares out windows during lunch, how he kicks at loose gravel when they walk home together. The two friends share secrets about families that disappoint them and dreams that feel too big for their surroundings. Detweiler wants to leave but doesn't know where he'd go. Twilla wants to stay but fears she'll disappear if she does. Their friendship becomes the one steady thing as they face the weight of choosing who they'll become. Tom Reamy captures the ache of adolescence through two characters who refuse to let each other face the world alone.
Genres: fiction, friendship, american, coming-of-age, contemporary, adolescence
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: America, United States
Period: 20th-century
60 pages · Paperback · Independently published