Abigail's parents believed the world was going to end. And—of course—it didn't. But they've lost everything anyway. And she must decide: does she still believe in them? Or is it time to believe in herself? Fans of Sara Zarr, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell will connect with this moving debut.
Abigail's parents never should have made that first donation to that end-of-times preacher. Or the next, or the next. They shouldn't have sold their house. Or packed Abigail and her twin brother, Aaron, into their old van to drive across the country to San Francisco, to be there for the "end of the world." Because now they're living in their van. And Aaron is full of anger, disappearing to who-knows-where every night. Their family is falling apart. All Abigail wants is to hold them together, to get them back to the place where things were right.
But maybe it's too big a task for one teenage girl. Bryan Bliss's thoughtful debut novel is about losing everything—and about what you will do for the people you love.
Bryan Bliss is the author of the National Book Award longlist title We’ll Fly Away as well as Thoughts & Prayers, Meet Me Here, and No Parking at the End Times. He is an Episcopal priest and a creative writing teacher, and he holds master’s degrees in theology and fiction. His nonfiction has been published in Image Journal along with various other newspapers, magazines, and blogs. He lives with his family in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Faith is one of the most underwritten subjects in YA, but when it’s done well, it can be the most fascinating. Not just because it’s an intriguing subject, whether you’re reading from within or outside of a life of religious faith, but because specifically in your teen years, when you’re legally guarded by someone else, your […]
If books were weather, today’s forecast would be “heavy precipitation, with a high chance of debuts.” This week marks the birth of first novels ranging from a post–happily ever after fairytale to a look at what happens to end-times believers when the end doesn’t come, plus a creepy thriller and a sophomore novel that makes good on […]
My goodness, do I love me some American Horror Story. A series where each season stands on its own, but hides little treats and the occasional crossover character for diehard fans, it’s one of the most creative, well-acted, and unnerving shows on television. We’ve gone into haunted houses, hotels, asylums, and more…and now, we get […]
For writers, nothing quite beats the high of completing your first book—and there’s a lot of talk about the second one being the most difficult. Sometimes in publishing we focus so much on debuts that it’s easy for those second novels to get lost. So, on the off chance you missed them, here are some […]
