
Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling to maintain a perfect image while secretly drowning in anxiety or when your family is navigating the aftermath of a mental health crisis. It offers a raw and deeply empathetic look at Lily, a high achiever who feels she must be the glue for her family after her older sister returns from a treatment facility for self-harm. Through the lens of art and hidden poetry, the story explores the heavy burden of keeping secrets and the courage it takes to ask for help. This is a vital resource for parents of teens aged 14 and up who need to see their internal pressures reflected and validated. It moves beyond the clinical to show the messy, beautiful reality of recovery and the importance of breaking the silence. By choosing this book, you are opening a door to honest conversations about mental wellness, the pressure of expectations, and the healing power of creative expression.
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Sign in to write a reviewOccasional strong language typical of realistic contemporary young adult fiction.
A supportive romantic subplot that includes kissing.
The book deals directly and secularly with self-harm, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and clinical depression. The approach is unflinching but grounded in reality, offering a hopeful but non-linear resolution that emphasizes management and support over a magical 'cure.'
A high schooler who feels they must be 'the strong one' for their family or peers. It is perfect for the student who excels academically but uses perfectionism to hide a growing sense of panic.
Parents should be aware of a scene involving a panic attack that is described with high visceral detail and references to past self-harm. It is best read alongside the teen to facilitate open dialogue. Parents may find the scenes where Lily's father ignores her distress in favor of maintaining a facade particularly difficult, or the detailed discussions of Alice's self-harm scars.
Younger teens (14) will focus on the romance and the mystery of the art project, while older teens (17-18) will likely resonate more with the themes of identity, the transition to adulthood, and the burden of family expectations.
Unlike many mental health novels that focus solely on the person in crisis, this book uniquely highlights the 'glass child' experience, showing how one sibling's trauma ripples through the others.
Lily is a high school junior determined to be the 'easy' child after her older sister, Alice, returns home from a psychiatric hospital following a suicide attempt. While Alice struggles with her recovery, Lily develops a secret obsession with 'The Poetry Project,' an anonymous street art movement. Alongside a boy named Micah, she begins to express her own suffocating anxiety and OCD tendencies through art, eventually realizing that she cannot keep her struggle a secret if she wants to survive.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.