In Repair

by A. L. Graziadei

Overview

Nathaniel Conti doesn’t feel real when he’s alone. Maybe that’s why he has a reputation as a troublemaker—he’ll do just about anything to have everyone’s eyes on him.

But things are about to change. Nathaniel is in his first year of college, flung into new circumstances with new people to meet. There are public speaking classmates, lacrosse players—and then there’s the aspiring photographer who asks Nathaniel to be their model, who’s interested in more than what’s on the surface. Nathaniel feels like he’s moving forward—until a former friend shows up, someone who reminds him of habits and hurts he thought he’d left behind.

From the author of Icebreaker comes a deeply felt, gorgeously told story about confronting what's buried, coming into your own, and finding your people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250777133
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	05/14/2024
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	375,018
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

A.L. Graziadei was born in Buffalo, New York and raised on Sabres hockey and video games, using their free time to write books inspired by both. Now living in Wisconsin, A.L. still plays plenty of video games and is a proud member of the Displaced Buffalo Sabres Fans group. Icebreaker is their first book.

Editorial Reviews

03/04/2024

Italian American 18-year-old Nathaniel Conti has had a reputation of being a troublemaker since high school. The constant attention helped to distract him from the guilt and self-hatred—and the self-harming methods through which he managed these feelings—caused by a childhood trauma. Now in college and no longer stealing or breaking and entering, he hopes to cultivate a fresh start. New friendships with Mexican American lesbian Celeste and nonbinary Korean American Tasha, as well as a reunion with white former best friend Max push Nathaniel to slowly open up and begin to embrace the hard work of recovery. Graziadei (Icebreaker) vividly portrays the physical effects of trauma, such as bodily dissociation, and handles both Nathaniel’s and the supporting characters’ challenges with nuance; even when Nathaniel regresses and hurts those around him, his and his friends’ feelings are rendered with compassion and understanding. Nathaniel’s relationship with Tasha is particularly poignant in how it explores the ways in which sexual trauma can complicate romance. Via acerbic and vulnerable prose, Graziadei presents an empathetic portrait of a young person learning to do better for the people he loves and for himself. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (May)

Publishers Weekly

2024-02-17
A queer college freshman struggles with trauma.

Nathaniel Conti starts his second semester as a Hartland University freshman determined not to repeat his first, when he isolated himself from campus life. Now, he wants to be seen. He’s hard to miss: His hair is dyed à la Cruella de Vil. When he meets fellow students Celeste Hernandez and Tasha Seo, who are Mexican American and lesbian and Korean American and nonbinary, respectively, he feels they’re “queerplatonic soulmates.” Plus, his new friends are on the women’s lacrosse team, the sport he’d excelled at in high school. Nathaniel is up front about some—but not all—of his troubles, like how he got kicked off his lacrosse team and earned his criminal record. He’s also in crisis, experiencing dissociative states and insomnia. And then he bumps into Max Palazzola from high school, formerly his best friend, lacrosse teammate, and partner in crime. The two white boys haven’t spoken since they were both in handcuffs, and Nathaniel is riddled with conflicting emotions; it’s possible he’s missed Max even more than he’s missed playing lacrosse. Nathaniel hides in bed, avoiding everything, but Max is persistent in his efforts at reconciling. The deep bond between them is portrayed with patience, care, and empathy. The sharp, fluid prose propels readers further into Nathaniel’s complex frame of mind as the story is uplifted by its touching characters.

A thoughtful rumination on the power of friendship, trauma, and healing. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

"Graziadei (Icebreaker) vividly portrays the physical effects of trauma, such as bodily dissociation, and handles both Nathaniel’s and the supporting characters’ challenges with nuance. . .Via acerbic and vulnerable prose, Graziadei presents an empathetic portrait of a young person learning to do better for the people he loves and for himself."—Publisher's Weekly

"The sharp, fluid prose propels readers further into Nathaniel’s complex frame of mind as the story is uplifted by its touching characters. . .A thoughtful rumination on the power of friendship, trauma, and healing."—Kirkus

"Graziadei’s second novel, after Printz Honor Book Icebreaker (2022), is a deep exploration of trauma responses, queerplatonic relationships, and the need for community, and Icebreaker readers will appreciate cameos from Mickey and Jaysen." —Booklist

From the Publisher