Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Matthew Quick's 'Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock' is a raw and unflinching Young Adult novel that follows 17-year-old Leonard Peacock on his birthday, which he intends to be his last. Leonard plans to murder his former best friend, Asher Beal, and then take his own life. The narrative unfolds as Leonard visits four people he cares about, delivering farewell gifts and reflecting on the bullying, isolation, and mental health struggles that have driven him to this extreme. This book is a powerful, albeit difficult, exploration of despair, the impact of bullying, and the desperate need for connection and understanding. It is recommended for mature young adult readers and parents should be prepared for intense discussions around suicide, violence, and mental illness.

In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was--that I couldn't stick around--and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault. Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol. Maybe one day he'll believe that being different is okay, important even. But not today.