DENIAL by Lorna Schultz Nicholson. Published by Lorimer Feb 2022. Teen Fiction. Crime/Thriller Young Adult.
Though I’ve been uber busy, I’m always reading and I love young adult (YA). So often, YA deals with themes that resonate into adulthood and the timelessness of the narrative can satisfy more mature readers. This is definitely one of those books.
DENIAL really caught my eye.
This is a young adult novel that hooks the reader right from the first page.
It is visceral, emotional, and also mysterious.
The reader isn’t quite sure where the journey will take them as the author twists and turns the story in so many directions.
This is a story about a young girl named Nova.
She’s on a swim team, she tutors other students, gets great grades, and even has a popular, athletic boyfriend, but she’s also got family issues and insecurities.
Life is good, but Nova is ready for more.
She wants to move her relationship with her boyfriend to the next level of intimacy. Her best friend encourages her and romantic dreams of seeing shooting stars and rainbows fill her imagination.
Nova is a typical young woman with insecurities and personal issues. These are portrayed thoughout the novel and Schultz Nicholson does a fantastic job in bringing that personal angst and doubt to the forefront in a believable way.
This book deals with relationships, love, disappointment, and so much more.
If you’re a parent of a young teen–girl or boy–I’d highly recommend you read this and then have them read it and ask them if they figured out the “twist”.
Chances are, they didn’t and that is what is so fantastic about the way this book is written.
This is a catalyst for discussion. There’s so much to learn from this book that it would be a shame if it wasn’t taken advantage of.
Personally, this is the kind of book I’d like to see in high school libraries or even read and discussed in class.
Go read it and let me know your thoughts. Did you have it figured out? Would your teen know?
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Thank you for getting this book!!
Thanks for writing it! Awesome story, characters, and plot. I seriously think this needs to be in the classroom of every high school. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Very much appreciated.