" ...one beautiful taperstry that depicts a teen's transition into an adult. An absolute must-read." READERS' FAVORITE

"Eloquent and assured. A intricately realized coming-of-age story." THE PRAIRIES BOOK REVIEW

"An effusive voice that captures the exuberance of being young, gay, and in love..." SOMAN CHAINANI (The School for Good and Evil)

A big-hearted and thoughtful YA about first love, friendship, and facing one's fears.

Josh Cooper is the only openly gay kid at school. In Boondock, Indiana, he lives under the radar, not drawing attention to himself or causing problems. But life takes an unexpected turn when the star wrestler, Matt Bentley, quietly asks him out. Navigating his first relationship means the comfort of his self-isolation will come to an end. Although falling in love with his closeted boyfriend is scary and exciting, life is still pretty routine. That is, until people claim to see strange lights in the sky.

When Josh joins his friends to investigate, he observes a clash of personalities rather than any extraterrestrial revelations. The night also paves the way for Eric, a fellow classmate, to escalate his bullying of Josh. To avoid outing Matt, Josh endures the abuse. But it abruptly ends when Eric's lifeless body is discovered. When no one is charged with murder, Josh sets out to learn who killed Eric and why. As secrets are exposed, Josh must finally confront a secret of his own so he can live his happily ever after.

**Includes a first-look excerpt of Salt of the Sea, a YA coming-of-age, LGBTQ thriller scheduled for Oct. 10, 2023