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The Space You Left Behind
Sixteen-year-old Cara has cerebral palsy. Self-conscious about her limp, Cara is convinced her disability is what causes boys to always place her in the friend zone. This summer, it seems to be happening again with her new crush, Josh. The two of them are huge fans of a popular mystery podcast and, as it happens, Cara has a real-life mystery of her own. She’s never been that curious about the donor who is her biological father, but now that Josh shows an interest in learning his identity, she’s all in. As Cara starts exploring, she stumbles upon a family secret that just might explain the feeling she’s always had that something important is missing from her life. But with this knowledge, her life may never be the same again.
- GenresRomanceTeenComing Of Age
190 pages, Library Binding
Published June 16, 2024
3 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Ona Gritz
18 books58 followersOna Gritz writes memoir, essays, and poetry for adults, verse novels for teens, and fiction for children. Her memoir, Everywhere I Look, will be released on April 16th from Apprentice House Press of Loyola University.
Ona’s nonfiction has appeared widely, including in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Utne Reader, Brevity, Parents, The Rumpus, and River Teeth. Among her recent honors are two Notable mentions in The Best American Essays and A Best Life Story in Salon.
Ona’s poetry collection Geode was a finalist for the Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award. Her poems can be found in Ploughshares, The Bellevue Literary Review, One Art, Catamaran Literary Reader, Stone Gathering, SWWIM, Literary Mama, and elsewhere. In 2020, she won The Poetry Archive Now: Wordview 2020 Project.
Ona’s 2023 novel for children, August Or Forever, was a Reader’s Choice and Wishing Shelf finalist in middle grade fiction. The Space You Left Behind, her first young adult novel, written in verse, is forthcoming from West 44 Books in June 2024.
Ona’s nonfiction has appeared widely, including in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Utne Reader, Brevity, Parents, The Rumpus, and River Teeth. Among her recent honors are two Notable mentions in The Best American Essays and A Best Life Story in Salon.
Ona’s poetry collection Geode was a finalist for the Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award. Her poems can be found in Ploughshares, The Bellevue Literary Review, One Art, Catamaran Literary Reader, Stone Gathering, SWWIM, Literary Mama, and elsewhere. In 2020, she won The Poetry Archive Now: Wordview 2020 Project.
Ona’s 2023 novel for children, August Or Forever, was a Reader’s Choice and Wishing Shelf finalist in middle grade fiction. The Space You Left Behind, her first young adult novel, written in verse, is forthcoming from West 44 Books in June 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 26, 2024
A heartfelt coming-of-age story that's beautifully told in verse. I really like how the book is centered on Cara and her journey of self-discovery, while still highlighting important themes such as identity, family, grief, adolescence and more. The disability representation is insightful and I appreciate Cara's very authentic POV as someone living with cerebral palsy (and teenage angst).
An engaging read that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to West 44 Books for the Netgalley ARC.
An engaging read that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to West 44 Books for the Netgalley ARC.
April 22, 2025
Love this book and all it has to say about the importance of community and being true to ourselves.
April 23, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Ona Gritz for the opportunity to read The Space You Left Behind in exchange for an honest review.
The Space You Left Behind is a HiLo novel written in verse. The writing is poetic and filling. Gritz' craft is exquisite in her execution of expression so much in a story with so few words. Brilliant!
This novel follows sixteen-year-old Cara, a girl with flaming red hair and mild cerebral palsy. She wants nothing more than for people to appreciate her for who she is and not what they see when it comes to her "bad" arm and her limp. Working at the library, she admires one of the patrons, a woman in a wheelchair who often comes with her husband. It inspires Cara that there is hope.
Between her friend Paige, Paige's boyfriend Mike, and their buddy Josh, Cara wants nothing more than a possible romance with Josh. Maybe that will fill this void that she has always felt. It could also be that she has never met her biological day. Perhaps finding him will fill the void?
Between figuring out romance and finding the beauty that she already is, a family secret reveals itself.
I absolutely love the works that West 44 Books puts forth. They are always diverse in some way, and I extremely appreciate and enjoy that. Even though Cara's case is mild, it is nice to get even a small glimpse into the perspective of someone with cerebral palsy and how they see the word. I loved the twist in Cara's void.
With a lesson on friendship, family, love, and self-appreciation, this book is truly an iconic model for teen readers. Yet another highly recommended novel told in verse form.
The Space You Left Behind is a HiLo novel written in verse. The writing is poetic and filling. Gritz' craft is exquisite in her execution of expression so much in a story with so few words. Brilliant!
This novel follows sixteen-year-old Cara, a girl with flaming red hair and mild cerebral palsy. She wants nothing more than for people to appreciate her for who she is and not what they see when it comes to her "bad" arm and her limp. Working at the library, she admires one of the patrons, a woman in a wheelchair who often comes with her husband. It inspires Cara that there is hope.
Between her friend Paige, Paige's boyfriend Mike, and their buddy Josh, Cara wants nothing more than a possible romance with Josh. Maybe that will fill this void that she has always felt. It could also be that she has never met her biological day. Perhaps finding him will fill the void?
Between figuring out romance and finding the beauty that she already is, a family secret reveals itself.
I absolutely love the works that West 44 Books puts forth. They are always diverse in some way, and I extremely appreciate and enjoy that. Even though Cara's case is mild, it is nice to get even a small glimpse into the perspective of someone with cerebral palsy and how they see the word. I loved the twist in Cara's void.
With a lesson on friendship, family, love, and self-appreciation, this book is truly an iconic model for teen readers. Yet another highly recommended novel told in verse form.
August 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this! It's written in verse and is extremely well done. It's unique and very heartfelt. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Ona Gritz,Rosen Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2024
Potent and meaningful, this is a mini-coming-of-age written in verse and draws in until the last page.
Cara has cerebral palsy and walks with a limp. As a sixteen-year-old wishing to simply be like everyone else, it makes her more than a little self-conscious. When two cute guys approach her and her best friend at the beach, she fears that a sudden connection to one of them, Josh, will end up, once again, with her being stuffed into the 'friend zone'. But Josh surprises her and still approaches her even after he notices her disability. When he learns that she doesn't know who her real father is, he agrees to help her figure out the mystery and, maybe, help her fill the hole she constantly seems to have inside.
This is a beautifully written book. Each verse brings across the moment with emotion and clarity, while drawing in to an engaging tale. These are very short and, yet, make sure every word sits. Cara's feelings as well as each situation come across vividly and hold the right amount of tension and heart. It creates a seamless read, which draws in and allows the reader to get lost in Cara's world.
Not only does Cara's disability cause her problems in several ways, but she's battling self-doubt in the area of her home life. While her mother and grandmother offer amazing and caring support, they harbor a secret surrounding her birth and aren't eager to let Cara know the details. The friction is understandable and comes across realistically. While Cara spends most of the tale trying to learn the secret surrounding her father's identity, this takes a surprising twist and does bend the end in a completely different direction, which works very well, for the most part.
The romance is unsure and holds an important role while not overtaking the main story line. It's sweet and not over-bearing, and does carry an unexpected twist toward the end as well. But everything works out better and smoother than is often seen in YA romances. So, this was a nice surprise, too. I received a DRC and found the writing powerful.
Cara has cerebral palsy and walks with a limp. As a sixteen-year-old wishing to simply be like everyone else, it makes her more than a little self-conscious. When two cute guys approach her and her best friend at the beach, she fears that a sudden connection to one of them, Josh, will end up, once again, with her being stuffed into the 'friend zone'. But Josh surprises her and still approaches her even after he notices her disability. When he learns that she doesn't know who her real father is, he agrees to help her figure out the mystery and, maybe, help her fill the hole she constantly seems to have inside.
This is a beautifully written book. Each verse brings across the moment with emotion and clarity, while drawing in to an engaging tale. These are very short and, yet, make sure every word sits. Cara's feelings as well as each situation come across vividly and hold the right amount of tension and heart. It creates a seamless read, which draws in and allows the reader to get lost in Cara's world.
Not only does Cara's disability cause her problems in several ways, but she's battling self-doubt in the area of her home life. While her mother and grandmother offer amazing and caring support, they harbor a secret surrounding her birth and aren't eager to let Cara know the details. The friction is understandable and comes across realistically. While Cara spends most of the tale trying to learn the secret surrounding her father's identity, this takes a surprising twist and does bend the end in a completely different direction, which works very well, for the most part.
The romance is unsure and holds an important role while not overtaking the main story line. It's sweet and not over-bearing, and does carry an unexpected twist toward the end as well. But everything works out better and smoother than is often seen in YA romances. So, this was a nice surprise, too. I received a DRC and found the writing powerful.
May 3, 2024
Thank you so much to Rosen Publishing/West 44 Books and Netgalley to read and review.
C.C has always felt a space inside her but never knew what it was for, maybe that she yearned for a boyfriend to love her and fill it or maybe it’s that she doesn’t know her sperm donor dad. When a cute boy starts hanging out with her wanting to solve the mystery of her donor dad she finds the answer to the space inside her in an unexpected way.
I loved loved loved the disability representation with C.C. having cerebral palsy, but that it was just part of her, simple as that, love it so much and I love how she found her own ways with it to become more comfortable with who she was and even finding out more about why she had it. It was great, we also had Alice who was a great role model for C.C but also to other reading. I so loved that.
This story was so beautiful, she went on a mystery solving journey to figure out who she was, she learnt so much more than she ever dreamt of expecting to find and the missing part of her was so much more to take on. It was honestly such an unexpected but very sad and beautiful twist I really loved learning about who she really was.
I really like the people around her her best friend Paige though was a little too abrupt to share about her disabilities she really cared for C.C. her mom and grandma were so sweet and loving for her, though they kept a secret from her it was understandable why. And Josh was really sweet they both had a miscommunication, but he really cared about her which was really lovely and exactly what she needed.
I really enjoyed this story it was really nice and different, it had lots of disability rep which I loved, it’s showed it in a natural form which I also love reading. The characters were great and the mystery within the story was fascinating. It had so much heart, so much love and so much to unfold, this was an incredible verse book.
C.C has always felt a space inside her but never knew what it was for, maybe that she yearned for a boyfriend to love her and fill it or maybe it’s that she doesn’t know her sperm donor dad. When a cute boy starts hanging out with her wanting to solve the mystery of her donor dad she finds the answer to the space inside her in an unexpected way.
I loved loved loved the disability representation with C.C. having cerebral palsy, but that it was just part of her, simple as that, love it so much and I love how she found her own ways with it to become more comfortable with who she was and even finding out more about why she had it. It was great, we also had Alice who was a great role model for C.C but also to other reading. I so loved that.
This story was so beautiful, she went on a mystery solving journey to figure out who she was, she learnt so much more than she ever dreamt of expecting to find and the missing part of her was so much more to take on. It was honestly such an unexpected but very sad and beautiful twist I really loved learning about who she really was.
I really like the people around her her best friend Paige though was a little too abrupt to share about her disabilities she really cared for C.C. her mom and grandma were so sweet and loving for her, though they kept a secret from her it was understandable why. And Josh was really sweet they both had a miscommunication, but he really cared about her which was really lovely and exactly what she needed.
I really enjoyed this story it was really nice and different, it had lots of disability rep which I loved, it’s showed it in a natural form which I also love reading. The characters were great and the mystery within the story was fascinating. It had so much heart, so much love and so much to unfold, this was an incredible verse book.
April 9, 2024
I read this on Eid night (tonight) and finished only in one hour after my request got accepted (thank you NetGalley and West 44 Books). I didn't expect this novel-in-verse book would have emotional plot twist while the rest is also brilliantly told in short poems. Each line seems to pack a punch, no frill, no fluff, straight to the point. To write something that can hook readers so easily must require such skills in storytelling as well as composing poetry.
The theme, the characters, the writing style, the verse format and title blend seamlessly to be one cohesive entertaining and inspiring story. I even looked back to page one after learning the plot twist, giving me a 'so that's why' moment for some things that has happened. It's, in a way, giving readers the feeling of solving mystery too like what C.C. and Josh was doing. I truly have nothing to say anymore except that I'm so glad I have read this and I hope you'll get a chance to read it too. It's more than just what it seems on the blurb, trust me.
One thing I want to change is the cover... Instead of this I picture an illustration of C.C. headshot or bust-up, with her curly red hair blown to the side, and a title text above it. It could use the color palette (reddish orange + light teal + white) but with YA-ish illustration style. But maybe it's just me 🙈
The theme, the characters, the writing style, the verse format and title blend seamlessly to be one cohesive entertaining and inspiring story. I even looked back to page one after learning the plot twist, giving me a 'so that's why' moment for some things that has happened. It's, in a way, giving readers the feeling of solving mystery too like what C.C. and Josh was doing. I truly have nothing to say anymore except that I'm so glad I have read this and I hope you'll get a chance to read it too. It's more than just what it seems on the blurb, trust me.
One thing I want to change is the cover... Instead of this I picture an illustration of C.C. headshot or bust-up, with her curly red hair blown to the side, and a title text above it. It could use the color palette (reddish orange + light teal + white) but with YA-ish illustration style. But maybe it's just me 🙈
April 20, 2024
The Space You Left Behind is a really quick, heartfelt, and intriguing read! The novel in verse follows C.C. (Cara), who is 16 and has never had a boyfriend. She thinks part of this is because her cerebral palsy causes her to walk with a limp, and whenever boys realize, they put her in the friendzone. She also thinks not having a boyfriend is making her feel like there is something missing from her life. Over the summer, she befriends a boy named Josh who takes an interest in her because she doesn't know who her biological father is -- her mother used a donor. Even though she hadn't wanted to find her father before, she goes along with Josh because she wants to keep spending time with him. I really appreciated how this novel handled C.C.'s disability and family dynamics, and The Space You Left Behind does a wonderful job portraying the messy emotions of being a teen, like wanting a boy to like you or discovering secrets about your family that your loved ones hid from you, and how that can hurt even if they did with your best interests in mind. Highly recommend to YA readers looking for novels in verse with themes of complicated friendship, family, and secrets!
(thanks to the publisher on netgalley for the arc!)
(thanks to the publisher on netgalley for the arc!)
October 15, 2024
A deeply satisfying story in verse that seems to breeze by and yet always pierces the heart. Cece, a smart and sensitive 16-year-old with cerebral palsy, longs for a boyfriend who will see past her limp, and Josh, her new crush, seems like he might be the one. While the two of them search for the answer to one family secret—the identity of her father—Cece stumbles on another secret that sends her reeling, but ultimately leads to deeper understanding of her family and her self. This is the third book I’ve read by Ona Gritz in three different genres—from middle-grade to memoir to YA—and they all glow with humanity thanks to Ona’s tender portrayals of yearning and her crystalline language.
July 8, 2024
Excellent book about C.C., who has cerebral palsy, and when she meets cute Josh on the beach they start talking about a podcast series they both love. They talk and she tells him she doesn’t know who her dad is. Josh says let’s check out that guy on the beach who has the same red hair as yours. He also suggests she buy a DNA test. C.C.’s mom tells it’s best not to know who your father was. When C.C. finds a photo album she sees a picture is missing. When she searches for it, she finds out a secret. Will her mom tell her the truth? Will C.C. do the DNA test?
September 9, 2024
I love a novel in verse, and while YA is not my typical genre, this one got me.
This is a super quick read, but it packs a lot into not many pages. Gritz captures so well the voice of a teen girl and all the complexities, crushes, and shifting emotions that go along with being in the world at that age. At the same time, she layers in C.C.'s disability and the two way mirror of how she sees herself and how others in her life see her.
October 14, 2024
I'm fairly new to reading verse novels, and Ona Gritz has made me a fan. She captures the spirit and heart of her teen characters with such authenticity and yet so few words. CC's story kept me riveted as I immediately connected to her challenges and desires. The exploration of disability, family ties, identity, and friendship will draw in readers of all ages. Highly recommended.
April 25, 2024
A cute heartwarming short verse novel about a 16 yr old girl who struggles with cerebral palsy, a budding crush, family, friends and secrets. It took me 20 minutes to read and it was so wholesome.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.
☆
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.
☆
August 23, 2024
In addition to exploring what it's like to live with a disability, Gritz's sensitive and moving verse novel alights on contemporary issues such as donor and LGBTQ parents, and the popularity of mystery podcasts. This is a quick engaging read.
July 12, 2024
Such a sweet book ❤️ love the prose
March 19, 2025
Good idea in theory and I liked that it was written from C.C.s view.
May 4, 2024
The Space you Left Behind is a compelling story about coming to terms with yourself and your body, as well as discovering disability pride and community. Like many teens, Cara feels alone and lonely, particularly when it comes to how her body works. But in her journey, she discovers she was never truly alone, and begins to find people like her. Cara goes from shame at the “secret” of her cerebral palsy to accepting her limitations, and expanding her definition of what it means to be made full by others. I especially loved this aspect for YA—that Cara examines her crush on Josh, and the unfair weight she put on him to “fix” her or make her feel whole.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews