Anica Mrose Rissi masterfully conveys the irresistible power of physical attraction and how that intoxication can unexpectedly turn toxic. I’m afraid too many readers will relate to this unflinchingly honest portrayal of an abusive first love, which is precisely why Always Forever Maybe is an essential book.” — Megan McCafferty, New York Times bestselling author of the Jessica Darling series
“Equal parts crackling tension and sparkling humor; the worst relationships have to offer and the best. It’s the rarest book that manages to be so important, so emotionally resonant, and so utterly propulsive and compelling all at the same time. You won’t be able to put it down.” — Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days
“Rissi’s extraordinary YA debut wraps you up with beautiful writing and complicated, yet all too realistic characters. Both heartbreaking and stunning, Always Forever Maybe will stay with you long after turning the last page.” — Elizabeth Eulberg, author of Better Off Friends
“Relatable and realistic, hopeful and empowering, Always Forever Maybe adresses an important subject: when ‘love’ isn’t what it seems.”
— Deb Caletti, author of National Book Award finalist Honey, Baby, Sweetheart
“Anica Mrose Rissi’s debut novel is a masterful mix of light and dark—sometimes tender, often funny, always brutally honest. Always terrifyingly real. This book will break your heart—then piece it back together, even stronger than before.” — Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire
“Ricci’s first YA novel gives an accurate but heartbreaking picture of an abusive relationship. The story has mature language and sexual scenes, as well as realistic situations, which older teens will appreciate.” — School Library Journal
“Rissi’s tale is elegantly written with a keen insight into teen relationships... An absorbing tale of a fatal attraction and its consequences.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This emotionally resonant YA debut by Rissi meaningfully highlights known patterns of intimate-partner abuse and speaks to the joy and importance of enduring friendship.” — Publishers Weekly
Anica Mrose Rissi masterfully conveys the irresistible power of physical attraction and how that intoxication can unexpectedly turn toxic. I’m afraid too many readers will relate to this unflinchingly honest portrayal of an abusive first love, which is precisely why Always Forever Maybe is an essential book.
Rissi’s extraordinary YA debut wraps you up with beautiful writing and complicated, yet all too realistic characters. Both heartbreaking and stunning, Always Forever Maybe will stay with you long after turning the last page.”
Anica Mrose Rissi’s debut novel is a masterful mix of light and dark—sometimes tender, often funny, always brutally honest. Always terrifyingly real. This book will break your heart—then piece it back together, even stronger than before.
Relatable and realistic, hopeful and empowering, Always Forever Maybe adresses an important subject: when ‘love’ isn’t what it seems.”
Equal parts crackling tension and sparkling humor; the worst relationships have to offer and the best. It’s the rarest book that manages to be so important, so emotionally resonant, and so utterly propulsive and compelling all at the same time. You won’t be able to put it down.
2018-03-20
In western New York state, high school senior Betts meets a handsome boy at the Sugar Shack where she works and immediately falls for him.On first meeting Aiden, Betts is already thinking, "…but this guy—I felt like whatever he wanted me to be, I'd be it." It's a reaction based solely on physical attraction: Aiden is "perfect and so pretty and ahhhhhhh." Leather jacket-clad Aiden rides a motorcycle which Betts is all too willing to hop on, all doubts swept away by the force of her crush. Betts' first-person narration captures her yearning for a romantic relationship, but fortunately her half Thai, half white and Jewish best friend, Jo, and Jo's twin brother, Eric, ground her when she is swooning off the deep end. They also ultimately save her when Aiden turns out to be clingy, controlling, and both physically and emotionally abusive. Betts' romantic vision of being swept off her feet by a motorcycle-riding Prince Charming becomes a nightmare more than a fairy tale, and it takes family, good friends, and an almost deadly accident to awaken her from his spell. Though clearly intended to teach about domestic violence, Rissi's tale is elegantly written with a keen insight into teen relationships. Aiden and Betts are white, and there is ethnic diversity in the school community.An absorbing tale of a fatal attraction and its consequences. (domestic violence resources) (Fiction. 13-18)
