Review by Booklist Review
Her mother dead, and her father living abroad, 18-year-old Del is staying in San Francisco with her art-gallery-owning aunt Fran. A rising college freshman, Del is spending the summer working for her aunt and volunteering at the Bay Area Crisis Line, talking with people contemplating suicide. This is either ironic or appropriate since Del's mother died by suicide and Del attempted the act herself. Moreover, she's trying to keep her alcoholism in check while struggling with anxiety and depression. Nevertheless, she is managing until two things happen: her major crush, Nick, gently rejects her, and her beloved aunt is diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. Overwhelmed, Del falls off the wagon but, with help from her AA sponsor, rallies. But will she be able to remain sober, and how will she manage to deal with her aunt's terminal illness? Jacobus (Romancing the Dark in the City of Light, 2015) has done a beautiful job with many difficult subjects, striking just the right tone and treating her highly sympathetic characters with dignity and compassion.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
After she attempted to take her own life before this book's start, 18-year-old Del finally feels things are getting back on track. She's living in San Francisco with her beloved aunt Fran, volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline, attending meetings for her alcohol dependency, and taking medication to manage her anxiety and depression. Del is excited for the arrival of her crush and family friend Nick, a premed college student with retinitis pigmentosa who's visiting San Francisco for a summer internship at UC Berkeley. She had hoped to pursue a relationship with him, and she's gutted when he tells her he just wants to be friends. Her life is further upended when she learns that Aunt Fran has terminal cancer and plans to enter hospice at home. With intensely emotional and honest prose, Jacobus (Romancing the Dark in the City of Light) conveys Del's inner turmoil and longing for relief from the constant pain and fear of death she believes haunt her life. The narrative's overall tone can sometimes read as unrelentingly melancholy; supportive health coordinators and mentors help Del confront her fears and find a new appreciation for life in this hopeful read. Characters default to white. Ages 13--up. Agent: Erzsi Deàk, Hen&ink Literary Studio. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up--Del's suicide attempt is in the past. Now she is sober, getting help for her depression and anxiety, and working in a crisis center helping others with suicidal tendencies. However, her world is turned upside down when Aunt Fran, with whom she has been living in San Francisco, is diagnosed with cancer. Now Del must care for herself and her aunt, preparing for what's to come and what it means for her mental health. Taking place over five months in 2015, this book takes readers on a bittersweet, hard-hitting journey with Del as she tackles more than an 18-year-old should. Jacobus expertly covers numerous tough subjects, from Del's addiction, and mental health, to Fran's inevitable death from cancer. There isn't any sugarcoating regarding these topics, making it a challenging read for some. Those who can handle the issues will only put the book down when they need a moment to process them. A note to readers provides information on whom to contact if one has thoughts of suicide. The back of the book contains discussion questions and a note from the author on her own experience with the subjects in her book. Characters cue as white. VERDICT Numerous triggering topics can make this a book to hand-sell--purchase where readers look for books with tough subjects.--Amanda Borgia
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An 18-year-old cares for her terminally ill aunt while she manages her own sobriety and depression. Del lives with her endearing Aunt Fran in San Francisco. Her deceased mom was bipolar, and her dad, emotionally removed from his family, works in London. Del plans on college in September, but as of June 2015, she's working at her aunt's art gallery, volunteering for a suicide prevention hotline, and creating collages. In a brutally honest, first-person narrative, Del describes her ongoing battle with depression, her past substance abuse, and her suicide attempt at boarding school. Now she attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and takes her meds. She also wants a relationship with childhood friend Nick. But this summer will test her ability to cope with her difficult life: Nick's retinitis pigmentosa is worse, he doesn't immediately reciprocate her romantic feelings, and Aunt Fran, in remission from breast cancer, is diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. Del becomes her caregiver, but when Fran brings up assisted suicide, Del must examine her own feelings about it. The difficult subject matter is expressed in forthright language; teens interested in mental and physical health will closely follow Del's interactions with her family, fellow AA attendees, Nick, the crisis line callers, and Fran's hospice coordinator, who helps Del understand the place of death within human existence. San Francisco forms a strong backdrop to this thought-provoking novel. Main characters read White. Honestly and courageously explores sensitive topics. (content warning, suicide resource, author's note, discussion questions) (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
