by Alice Oseman
First published 2023
The Spring family Christmas feels different this year. Charlie Spring sits at the kitchen table, picking at his breakfast while his older sister Tori watches from the doorway. The holiday decorations seem too bright, the forced cheer too loud. Charlie's boyfriend Nick tries to help, but even his steady presence can't fix everything that's broken. Tori knows her little brother is struggling. She sees it in the way he pushes food around his plate, in how he flinches when their parents ask about school. The festive season that should bring joy instead brings pressure. Family dinners become minefields. Gift exchanges feel hollow. As December drags on, the Spring siblings must navigate expectations they can't meet and traditions that no longer fit. Tori fights her own demons while trying to protect Charlie. Nick offers what support he can, but some battles happen in spaces too small for three people. This winter tests the bonds between brother and sister, boyfriend and family, hope and reality.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, young-adult, lgbt, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers
115 pages · Hardcover · Scholastic Press
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness