A beautifully realistic, relatable story about mental health and the healing powers of art—perfect for fans of Girl in Pieces and How it Feels to Float.

How do you keep everything together when you’re quietly falling apart?

It’s been three months since the Night on the Bathroom Floor—when Lily found her sister, Alice, hurting herself. Since then, Lily has been trying to be the perfect daughter, friend, student and athlete. But now Alice is coming home from her treatment program and it’s becoming harder for Lily to outrun her feelings. Especially when she meets Micah, a guy with a troubled past of his own.

Micah was in treatment with Alice, and he seems determined to get Lily to process not only her sister’s experience but her own. Because Lily has secrets, too. Compulsions she can’t let go of and thoughts she can’t drown out. Things that don't fit with the perfect girl she's supposed to be.

When Lily and Micah embark on an art project that involves finding poetry in unexpected places, Lily realizes that the words she’s been holding back desperately want to break through. But what will Micah think if he finds out who she really is? And will Lily ever be enough?

If you ever feel overwhelmed or struggle with anxiety and depression, or know someone who has, this novel is for you. Because talking about mental health is a conversation we all can share.

Relatable, heartbreaking, and real, this is a story of resilience–the perfect novel for readers of powerful contemporary fiction like Girl in Pieces and Every Last Word.

“Before, I had a place. I was a daughter. A friend. A singer. I was a million things. Now I’m only one— the Burned Girl.”

Ava Lee has lost everything there is to lose: Her parents. Her best friend. Her home. Even her face. She doesn’t need a mirror to know what she looks like–she can see her reflection in the eyes of everyone around her. 

A year after the fire that destroyed her world, her aunt and uncle have decided she should go back to high school. Be “normal” again. Whatever that is. Ava knows better. There is no normal for someone like her. And forget making friends–no one wants to be seen with the Burned Girl, now or ever. 

But when Ava meets a fellow survivor named Piper, she begins to feel like maybe she doesn’t have to face the nightmare alone. Sarcastic and blunt, Piper isn’t afraid to push Ava out of her comfort zone. Piper introduces Ava to Asad, a boy who loves theater just as much as she does, and slowly, Ava tries to create a life again. Yet Piper is fighting her own battle, and soon Ava must decide if she’s going to fade back into her scars . . . or let the people by her side help her fly.