First published 2025
Elijah is tired of his parents nagging him about vaping. At sixteen, he figures it's no big deal compared to harder drugs. But something shifts without him noticing. What started as occasional use becomes constant need. He can't get through the day without vaping anymore. Soon Elijah and his friends crave stronger highs and dive into Southern California's drug scene. Girls in their circle start selling photos of themselves to fund their habits. The dealers they encounter show no mercy. As their desperation grows, so does their need for money. The teens find themselves trapped by blackmail, forced into a choice that seems impossible. The situation spirals toward a conclusion none of them could predict. This story from Newbery and National Book Award winner Cynthia Kadohata shows how quickly harmless experimentation can become something much darker.
Genres: fiction, addiction, contemporary, young-adult, drugs
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-academia, found-family, redemption
Setting: Southern California
347 pages · Kindle Edition · Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, mental-illness