Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen. 240 p. Random House Children's Books, February 21, 2017. 9780553496901.
Publisher synopsis: Beware: Life ahead.
Sixteen-year-old Petula de Wilde is anything but wild. A former crafting fiend with a happy life, Petula shut herself off from the world after a family tragedy. She sees danger in all the ordinary things, like crossing the street, a bug bite, or a germy handshake. She knows: life is out to get you.
The worst part of her week is her comically lame mandatory art therapy class with a small group of fellow misfits. Then a new boy, Jacob, appears at school and in her therapy group. He seems so normal and confident, though he has a prosthetic arm; and soon he teams up with Petula on a hilarious project, gradually inspiring her to let go of some of her fears. But as the two grow closer, a hidden truth behind why he’s in the group could derail them, unless Petula takes a huge risk. . .
I learned about this when a FB friend posted a pic of the arc he scored. I have read two of her books, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen and We are All Made of Molecules.
I had not yet heard about a new Susin Nielsen. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I'll be looking forward to that one. I read "Word Nerd" and "Please George Clooney, Marry my Mom" and liked them both.
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