This One's for You

December 12, 2022
Amplifying raw emotion through imagery-rich prose, Sweeney (Catch the Light) explores mental health and the transition to adulthood against a contemporary music industry backdrop. Former best friends Sydney Greenfield and Caspian Forrester originally bonded over music, a passion hidden from both Syd’s pragmatic mother, who insists she pursue a “steady job,” and Cass’s father, who’s still grieving the death of Cass’s musician mother, who died in an accident while driving home drunk after a gig. Grappling with parental pressure, post-graduation ambitions, and emotional overwhelm, the estranged friends serendipitously meet up after graduation and impulsively travel to see Cass’s mom’s bandmates, the Darlas, on tour. A single show turns into a cross-country journey during which the Darlas help the teens live out their musical dreams, but boundaries are tested as Syd and Cass dredge up their past hurts, and the duo must both reckon with their falling-out and decide whether they fit into each other’s futures. Candid internal arcs and discussions of mental health elucidate therapy-positive messaging. By rooting the characters’ internal development in their connection to art, Sweeney captures the sensory immersion of musical performance and elevates the novel’s introspective plot via lyrical alternating perspectives. Characters cue as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Melanie Figueroa, Root Literary.

December 1, 2022
Former best friends redefine their relationship and themselves while on a spontaneous road trip. Caspian Forrester's mom, the guitarist in a rock band called The Darlas, died when he was a baby. His dad is still traumatized by the loss, so Cass keeps it a secret that he also plays the guitar, regularly busking in a San Francisco train station. Sydney Greenfield, Cass' former best friend, sticks out in her family of high-achieving siblings--and not in a good way. Though she's landed an internship at an illustrious music venue, she hasn't told her parents about it yet. Meanwhile, Cass learns that The Darlas are reuniting for one last tour. When their paths cross after high school graduation and Cass gives Syd a ride, they spontaneously decide to go to the first show in Sacramento together. One show leads to another, and as they follow the band, the two White teens have a lot of time together on the road to work through their respective issues with their parents, what happened with their friendship, and what comes next. Though the protagonists end the book as a couple, the focus is on the characters' individual journeys, which include realistically dealing with issues around grief, mental health, and finding the confidence to follow their own paths. Music fans will especially enjoy this story of two people learning to trust themselves--and each other. (Romance. 12-18)

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Starred review from February 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Sydney and Caspian were best friends, inseparable for years, until one day they weren't. With high-school graduation suddenly behind them, they're both looking at futures that seem much more uncertain than they expected. But when Caspian finds out the Darlas, his late mother's band, is getting back together for a reunion tour, the two old friends are thrown together again, prompting them to see if untangling the past will help prepare them for the future. Sweeney (Catch the Light, 2021) has created a beautifully written story about grief, love, and not just discovering who you are but finding the courage to declare, "This is who I am!" before the world. The author, herself in the band Magic Magic Roses, allows her passion for music to authentically pulse through the novel, while the story nimbly navigates the weight and discomfort that can arise from others' expectations. Both Sydney and Caspian are teenage characters who never lean into clich�s, and their rapport, even when strained, is riveting. This is a must-read for music fans and romantics who believe in destiny but know fate alone can't hold up a relationship--even true love needs you to put in the work. Pair with Nina LaCour's The Disenchantments (2012) for another soulful, music-filled summer of teens stepping into adulthood.

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