When Betts meets Aiden at the candy store where she works, their connection is like a sugar rush to the heart. Betts already knows the two of them are infinite. Inevitable. Destined to become an us. Betts has only ever kept one secret from her best friend, Jo, but suddenly there's a long list of things she won't tell her, things Jo wouldn't understand. Because Jo doesn't see how good Aiden is for Betts. She finds him needy. Possessive. Controlling.
She's wrong. With a love like this, nothing else matters. This sensitive but unflinching depiction of the development of an abusive teenage relationship — and the challenges involved in recognizing and leaving one — is heartbreaking but compelling.
"When Aiden’s affection turns toxic, Betts gives him the benefit of the doubt, trying to demonstrate selfless love as his behavior becomes jealous and controlling, reveals an undercurrent of simmering anger, and turns physically abusive. Betts’s best friend, Jo, and her twin, Eric, show kindness and concern, playing an effective foil to obsessive love — even as an explosive public incident shows everyone, including Betts, the truth. This emotionally resonant YA debut by Rissi (The Teacher’s Pet) meaningfully highlights known patterns of intimate-partner abuse and speaks to the joy and importance of enduring friendship." — Publishers Weekly
Recommended Age | 15 and up |
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Author | Anica Mrose Rissi |
ISBN | 0062685287 |
Publication Date | Jun 5, 2018 |
Publisher | HarperTeen |
Language | English |