e-ALC, 04:41:40
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Release Date: July 7, 2026
Published by: Recorded Books, Inc.
Read from: July 23, 2026
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
Content Warning: Grief, Death, Panic Attacks/Disorders, Alcohol
For Readers of: 2sLGBTQ+, Audio, Coming of Age, Contemporary, Sparkly Cover, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Realistic Fiction, Romance, YAFrom the author of Orpheus Girl and finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Poetry, this lyrical YA novel follows a teen as she unravels a personal mystery as she tries to understand her older sister’s death.
A discovery of authentic self and sapphic love—perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Lily Braun-Arnold.
Seventeen-year-old Isadora is reeling after the sudden loss of her older sister, Eleni, to a pulmonary embolism. Her grieving parents can’t offer much support—her only reprieve is her close friend Ani, but lately the intensity of her feelings for Ani have been more confusing than comforting. Then Isadora discovers secret letters in Eleni’s belongings that suggest her artist sister was hiding more from her family than Isadora ever expected.
Isadora travels to her uncle’s apartment in New York City, where Eleni lived, determined to unravel the threads of her sister’s life. As she searches for clues, Isadora embraces her own sexuality and begins to fall in love. But can she learn to live when Eleni will never have the same chance? Heartbreaking and healing, this gut-punch of a novel is an essential read for anyone who’s ever lost—and loved.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This is another book where I wouldn’t normally like it, but for some reason it just really worked for me. I don’t love novels that are super short, but this one just worked. Maybe it was because I was really into the story itself and even though it was short, I still felt all the things and I still got a lot out of the story. It was a really great depiction of grief and a great read. Or maybe it was because I saw one of my favorite narrators and I knew she would do it justice. Whatever it was, I enjoyed it.
Ok so this book was about grief and I’ll be damned if Rebelle-Henry didn’t hit the mark! I felt every single bit of sadness that Eleni did. The grief in this was so deep, real, and raw it felt like another character. And not only was the grief palpable, but it was also expertly portrayed. I kept yelling at her about the choices she was making, but they made so much sense for someone with her thought process. I felt so bad for her.
There was another part of this where Eleni was trying to find out what happened to her sister. She knew what happened, but she didn’t know all the details. Like what did her sister have to be stressed about? What was she hiding that made her scared? To figure out what was going on, she retraced her sister’s last steps by visiting some of the friends she had and going to some of the places she went. I was proud of her for sticking it out and figuring out what happened because there was no way I could do that.
This was one of the most tender books I’ve read in a long time. Not only was she trying to find her sister, but she was also trying to find herself. I was glad that she got to share that last thing with her sister, even if she never knew it. At the very least, SHE knew and she knew by her friends that she would have been just as accepting. I was so glad that she got to have that one last thing.
Weirdly I didn’t actually cry when I read this. I just remember saying aww and holding my heart. But if you cry at the drop of a hat like I normally do, please note that you might not be the same lol This is a heavy book so be prepared, but it was also really good. I hope y’all pick it up and feel all the feels like I did!
Overall, I give this
