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4.5*

TW via author note: "This book contains depictions of anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, internalized ableism, grief, suicidal ideation, panic attacks, and homophobia from teen peers. It also deals with the description of and aftermath of suicide."

This book was so very quietly lovely, at once heartbreaking and heartwarming. Brynn has been struggling with her mental health, and her mom has taken some of her online communications as a cry for help. So, she sends Brynn to Florida to spend the summer with her semi-estranged father. Brynn isn't tickled, as you can imagine, especially since she's been banned from the internet. (Sidenote: I don't think this is great parenting, though I do understand that Brynn's mom was desperate and worried, but. I really don't recommend this.)

Brynn's anxiety obviously isn't cured by a trip to off-the-grid houseboat in Florida, so she's still struggling- maybe even more so without a support system. Her dad is definitely trying, but it's a lot. I don't know about you, but I would not be tickled to spend my summer in a musty humid houseboat with no connection to the outside world and/or technology. Brynn spends a lot of her time hanging out in the bayou, and there she meets Skylar. Skylar's story is far more complex than Brynn bargains for, however.

I felt a connection to Brynn, because a lot of her anxieties and fears were my anxieties and fears, especially her intrusive thoughts and panic about death. That one really resonated with me, and my goodness, what I wouldn't have done for a book that addressed this when I was Brynn's age! I mean, even as an adult, I felt so understood by Brynn, imagine what Teen Me would have thought- because I was pretty sure I was the only person having these disruptive thoughts, and to know I wasn't alone? That would have been everything.

Brynn spends a lot of time focusing inward on her trip, but also learning to let others (like her father and his ·É´Ç²Ô»å±ð°ù´Ú³Ü±ôÌýgirlfriend) in to lighten the load. I loved her journey, and I loved the family aspect of the story. Skylar's role in this story is important, but Brynn's role in her own recovery is really the shining star of the story.

Bottom Line:  Such a lovely, quiet gem about mental health that will certainly make readers feel less alone, more empathetic, or more likely, both.