Does anyone ever see us for who we really are? Jo Knowles's revelatory novel of interlocking stories peers behind the scrim as it follows nine teens and one teacher through a seemingly ordinary day.
Thanks to a bully in gym class, unpopular Nate suffers a broken finger—the middle one, splinted to flip off the world. It won't be the last time a middle finger is raised on this day. Dreamer Claire envisions herself sitting in an artsy café, filling a journal, but fate has other plans. One cheerleader dates a closeted basketball star; another questions just how, as a "big girl," she fits in. A group of boys scam drivers for beer money without remorse—or so it seems. Over the course of a single day, these voices and others speak loud and clear about the complex dance that is life in a small town. They resonate in a gritty and unflinching portrayal of a day like any other, with ordinary traumas, heartbreak, and revenge. But on any given day, the line where presentation and perception meet is a tenuous one, so hard to discern. Unless, of course, one looks a little closer—and reads between the lines.
- Enjoyed this year's Long Island Reads selection? Check out these titles too!
- Women's History Month
- Ramadan & Eid al-Fitr
- March Madness: Basketball
- Not Just Another Teen Book- YA for Adults
- Page to Screen
- Retro Reads - Books from the 1900s
- Librarians Love Gettin' Cozy
- Best Books of 2023
- Rick Riordan
- Avatar- The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra
- Celebrate Disney 100 Years and Counting!
- #LiveYourBestLife Adult Reads
- See all
- Enjoyed this year's Long Island Reads selection? Check out these titles too!
- Women's History Month
- Ramadan & Eid al-Fitr
- Page to Screen
- Listen While You Run: Audiobooks for Workouts
- Not Just Another Teen Book- YA for Adults
- Librarians Love Gettin' Cozy
- Retro Reads - Books from the 1900s
- Welcome to Night Vale Listen-ALikes
- Now Available! Popular Audiobooks You May Have Missed
- Best Books of 2023
- Rick Riordan
- #LiveYourBestLife Adult Reads
- See all
- #ownvoices / Diverse Books
- Antiracism Resources
- Sheet Music & Song Books
- Bücher auf Deutsch / Books in German
- Civil Service Test Prep
- The Great Courses
- QuickReads Collection
- See all