Cara K., The Key School
Emory is a background character; she is the babysitter to her older brother, Joey, and the understudy to her older sister, Maddie. She doesn't know who she is; she has been told her entire life how to act, who she is, and what her impact will be. Then her life gets flipped on its head in a devastating car accident that kills Candy MontClaire and unveils how deep Joey's addiction really is. When Joey comes back from rehab, Emory just wants life to be normal for him. As Emory gets caught up in Joey's recovery, she slowly realizes life will not be--and was never--normal for her family.
As a deep-dive into the opioid crisis, this book handles so many topics with so much care. At no point did I find the novel glamorizing nor romanticizing sexual harassment, drug addiction, or parental neglect. There are no words for me to describe how respectful and beautiful this novel is. Emory is such a developed and realistic character. I cried reading this. There is so much heart and research that went into this book. Glasgow makes it clear that everyone deserves compassion, time, and love no matter what their situation is.
This is a poignant, personal, and relevant story for anyone who has ever dealt with addiction or the fallout of one. I cannot emphasize how much I recommend this. This is an absolutely heart-wrenching story, and it will stick with you no matter what your relationship with addiction or mental health is.
Click here to check out You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow.