Girl on the Line

published january 2021 By harperteen

A story that begins where too many others end, this stunningly written and unflinchingly authentic #ownvoices tale of love, loss, and hope will touch fans of All the Bright Places and Girl in Pieces.

Life’s tough when you didn’t expect to be living it. But now that Journey has a future, she apparently also has to figure out what that future’s supposed to look like.

Some days the pain feels as fresh as that day: the day she attempted suicide. Her parents don’t know how to speak to her. Her best friend cracks all the wrong jokes. Her bipolar II disorder feels like it swallows her completely.

But other days—they feel like revelations. Like meeting the dazzling Etta, a city college student who is a world unto herself. Or walking into the office of the volunteer hotline, and discovering a community as simultaneously strong and broken as she is.

Or uncovering the light within herself that she didn’t know existed.

Add it on Goodreads or order here!

Reviews

“An achingly authentic depiction of cycling through depression and healing… the masterful handling gives the book bibliotherapeutic potential for readers struggling with the same issues or those who want to better understand the Journeys in their lives. An incredibly tough but worthwhile read.” —Kirkus starred review 🌟

“Alternating between the past—the days immediately following Journey’s hospitalization—and the present several months later, the narrative also includes Journey’s frequent addresses to her past and future selves, reinforcing the often-nonlinear nature of healing. There are no easy answers in Gardner’s (The Second Life of Ava Rivers) tough but deeply rewarding latest, but there is hope in its message that there is no singularly correct road to recovery—and that the journey is worthwhile.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review 🌟

“The book is especially thoughtful in questioning at what point "big feelings" become mental illness, and it's wise in refusing to give a hard and fast answer to Journey or to readers […] It's also realistic in acknowledging that Journey can't just nip back into the life that she stepped out of, and that it takes some time before she genuinely recognizes the effects, some long-term, on her family and friends. However, she's also here and hopeful, and that's a hard-won prize that will hearten readers with their own battles.” —Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books, starred review 🌟