The Secret to Belonging

by Megan E. Freeman

A neglected teen travels to Norway for a fresh start in this stunning coming-of-age novel in verse about longing, love, and the courage to create joy from the ashes of despair by award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Megan E. Freeman.

You are invisible in your own family. Your parents spend all their care and attention on your brother, who is addicted to drugs. Your dreams don’t matter to anyone but you.

Your only ticket out is a college fund left by your grandfather—until your parents use it to pay for your brother’s drug rehab.

Just when your future seems about to collapse, you are offered a a scholarship to become an exchange student in a remote part of Norway. It’s an invitation to begin a new life in a new place with new people…a place where you might finally feel like you belong.

Genres: Young Adult, Novel In Verse, Poetry, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 15, 2026

About the author

Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week to teach poetry, and she has been a writer ever since. Her New York Times bestselling novel in verse, ALONE, won the Colorado Book Award, the Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Vermont Children’s Book Awards, the High Plains Book Award, is an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and is included on over two dozen "best of" and state reading lists.

Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and the author of the poetry chapbook Lessons on Sleeping Alone. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan is nationally recognized for her work leading workshops and speaking to audiences across the country.

Megan used to live in northeast Los Angeles, central Ohio, northern Norway, and on Caribbean cruise ships. Now she divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast.

Reviews

[Connie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

When I heard Megan E. Freeman was coming out with a YA novel in verse, I knew it would be special. This far exceeded my expectations. The story follows a teen who leaps at the opportunity to be an exchange student during her senior year of high school. This opportunity truly saves her life.

This book hit close to home in a lot of ways, and I know it will for many other readers, too. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

[Kerry Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely astonishingly beautiful! So many times I reread pages because I wanted to savor them again. This YA novel in verse tells the story of a girl whose family uses her college fund for her brother’s rehab and steals her dreams. But she finds a different dream, something completely unexpected. Do NOT miss this book when it comes out in September!

[Liralen]

4 stars; review to come September 2026

[Nicole Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you’re looking for a quick read that still hits hard emotionally, “The Secret to Belonging” by Megan E. Freeman is one of those books you’ll probably finish in a sitting and then keep thinking about afterward.

First off, the structure is super unique. It’s written entirely in verse, in second person POV, so the main character is just “you.” No name, no traditional narration—just your thoughts, your feelings, your story. On top of that, there’s barely any capitalization or punctuation, so it reads like this raw stream of consciousness. The verse flows really easily and actually makes everything feel more personal and emotional.

The story itself is pretty heavy. “You” grow up in a family where your older brother’s addiction basically consumes everything, like your parents’ time, money, and attention. They’re so focused on trying to save him that you end up feeling invisible. And it’s not sugarcoated; you’re allowed to feel angry about it. The book does a really good job showing how complicated that kind of family dynamic is, where you can love people but also feel completely neglected by them.

Things start to shift when you get the chance to go to Norway as an exchange student, and this is where the book really shines. The setting is gorgeous. The descriptions of the landscape, the culture, even the weather; it all feels so vivid that you kind of fall in love with Norway right alongside the main character. It’s not just a backdrop either; it represents this fresh start where you finally feel seen.

In Norway, everything is new: new language, new family, new friendships, first love, first heartbreak. It all happens pretty fast, but that actually works because it mirrors how intense and overwhelming those “firsts” feel as a teenager. There’s this constant tension between wanting to stay in this new life where you belong and feeling pulled back to your old life out of guilt and obligation.

That’s probably one of the strongest parts of the book—the way it handles that question:
Do you owe your family everything, even if it’s hurting you?

The emotional payoff toward the end is rough in the best way. There’s a major turning point that forces the main character to finally confront everything she’s been avoiding, and it leads to a really powerful arc about self-worth and choosing your own life. It’s definitely a tearjerker, but not in a manipulative way. It’s more of a “this feels real” kind of way.

Overall, this book is simple but really impactful. It tackles big themes like addiction, family, identity, and independence without feeling overwhelming, and the verse format makes it feel intimate and immediate.

It’s short, emotional, and quietly powerful. If you like character-driven stories, unique writing styles, and books about finding where you truly belong, even if it means leaving things behind, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her first YA novel, Megan E Freeman (Alone, Away, Snakebit) uses 2nd person perspective and an NIV format to draw readers into the life of a high school senior who has always felt invisible in a family focused on her older brother and his battle with addiction.

Unnamed, this sister and daughter has always tried to keep a low profile, not cause a fuss and basically fades into the woodwork amid the chaos that her brother always seems to generate-meetings with the principal, bailing him out of jail, court hearings, rehab after rehab. But when her parents spend the college fund started for her by a grandfather in order to, once again, dig her brother out of another hole, she decides something has to change. With her best friend Alison, she is accepted, granted a scholarship and will complete her senior year in Norway. Afraid to hope for a family where she is seen and cared for, she is amazed to find not only that, but a community spirit and culture that encourages and begins to heal a heart that has been yearning to belong.

The Secret To Belonging is not an easy book to read and those who do will ache over the main character’s trauma and neglect but then rejoice when her Norwegian host family takes her in, loves her and guides her to find a niche where she begins to realize her self-worth. Much like real life, just as all seems to be coming up roses, tragedy and betrayal happen, but Freeman ends her story with the joy of found family.

Excellent choice for readers in grades 8 and up.

*Profanity: infrequent and while mostly the milder variety, there are a handful of F-bombs
*Violence: a devastating fire caused by the drug-addicted brother
*Sexual content: Best friend Alison has sex with several people during her study abroad year, including her host “father,” but the activity is only stated and not described; the main character has sex with her boyfriend but the foreplay is sweet, not passionate, and no details of the sexual encounter are given, more of a “fade to black” situation.
*LBGTQ+: none

Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster/Atheneum.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I first want to say Megan Freeman is immensely talented. I’ve read both Alone and Away and was equally enthralled by both books. The Secret to Belonging is no different. It’s written in verse and the writing style is beautiful.

The Secret to Belonging takes place in the 1980’s, following an unnamed narrator as she goes to Norway as an exchange student for her senior year of high school. The narrator is desperate to get away from her highly dysfunctional family. Her brother is an addict, and her parents spend all their time and resources trying to help him get clean. As a result, our narrator feels like an invisible child in her family. She makes the decision to go to Norway when she finds out her parents have spent her college fund on another stint in rehab for her brother.

The majority of the book takes place in Norway as our narrator is immersed in the culture there. Her host family is kind, loving, and attentive, and in many ways the opposite of her family back home. She makes new friends, falls in love, learns a new language and culture, and finally finds a place that truly feels like home.

I enjoyed seeing the narrator’s growth throughout the story. The book explores themes of addiction, family dynamics, guilt and obligation, and the quest for independence. There are some tragic, dark elements in this book, so I’d recommend it for older teens. If you don’t consider yourself a fan of poetry, this book is still for you. It’s easy to read and understand. The story flows and moves quickly, making it possible to read this book in one or two sittings. Overall, this is a well-written, emotional story that will have you rooting for the narrator from the first page, and I look forward to reading more from Megan Freeman in the future.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In the 1980s, the narrator (who is unnamed, since the book is told in second person point of view) dreams desperately about going to college, since her home life is centered around her brother, who is addicted to heroin. Her parents always make excuses for him, and blame others for his actions. Finally, he gets himself in trouble that they can't solve without taking the college fund the narrator was left by her grandfather. Realizing that she won't be able to break free, she decides to become an exchange student, and gets matched with a family in Norway. She goes to the country in the summer, takes some intensive language courses, then goes to live with a family with two younger children. They are happy and supportive, and she does well in school. She has a boyfriend, and is glad to be away from her family. There is some drama with her friends from back home, and her relationship with the boyfriend also has its ups and downs, but when she is called back to California suddenly, she realizes that her family doesn't care as much about her as she needs them to, and she must decide where her place in the world is.

This novel in verse is very compelling, but also very much a young adult book. There is more mature language, a little drinking, and more than several mentions of sex. The author spent a year on exchange in Norway in the 1980s, and this is crystal clear. The emotions of going away on one's own, and the casual way in which teens during that era were allowed to solve their own problems, made me nostalgic, since I spent a year in college in Greece. High School readers will be amazed at the differences, but will also enjoy this story about finding one's path. I won't be buying it for my middle school library, but would buy it for a high school library where verse novels are popular.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful and thought-provoking read. At first, I thought the verse would keep me from extracting any connection to and emotion from the storyline, especially since the structure made it so I read it in a hour or so’s time. That was clearly a mistake in thinking, for the verse was what cultivated the connection in the first place.

While the themes of addiction, familial obligation, and the desire for independence and happiness are nothing new, Freeman’s choice to have the protagonist’s strife so clearly established at the very beginning (without creating a sense of guilt or remorse) made her conflict all the more pronounced. Thus, I was a bit thrown towards the end when she felt compelled to assist her family simply because they were family. The trepidation she felt at each turning point, wondering if she was going to resign herself to a life she did not want to lead or escape it entirely alluded to the conundrum each of us face in our own lives. What was most striking, however, was the fact the protagonist remained nameless, while those around her did not (though one assumes the story was autobiographical). Was this Freeman’s way of giving the reader a sense of ownership in the story— that we all could be/could have been her too?

I do find it interesting that the style changed from verse to standard prose in the last chapter and assume there are a myriad of reasons why this occurred. My own interpretation is that the protagonist found peace and stability in her life and thus, did not feel as disjointed as the style of verse can be (story wise at least).

Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and NetGalley for the privilege to read this ARC!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of The Secret to Belonging by Megan E. Freeman in exchange for an honest review.
I'll admit that books written in verse/prose are not usually my favorite format; however, the description immediately caught my eye and was intriguing enough to overcome my reservations. I'm glad it did.
Megan E. Freeman's writing is absolutely beautiful. The story is rich with detail and emotion, and I quickly found myself immersed in the characters' experiences. I especially appreciated the interweaving of English and Norwegian throughout the book, which added authenticity and depth to the story. Reading on Kindle was particularly helpful since I could easily translate unfamiliar Norwegian phrases as I went along.
This is a heartbreaking story that explores loss, identity, family, and the search for where we truly belong. At the same time, it is deeply empowering, highlighting resilience, self-discovery, and the strength it takes to move forward through difficult circumstances.
Even as someone who doesn't typically gravitate toward novels in verse, I found myself captivated by the storytelling and emotional impact. I would highly recommend The Secret to Belonging to young adult readers, particularly high school age and older, as well as adults who enjoy thoughtful, character-driven stories with powerful themes and beautiful writing
#NetGalley #TheSecretToBelonging

[Darya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The protagonist of this novel in verse has been ignored by her parents, whose lives are consumed by the codependent illusion that they can save her elder brother, an addict, from the troubles he creates for himself and others. She dreams of leaving home for college but then learns that her college fund is gone—along with all the family’s other resources. She jumps at an opportunity provided by a scholarship for an exchange program for her senior year, assigned, of all places, to a town in Norway beyond the Arctic Circle. There, for the first time, she experiences what a family that is not dysfunctional might look like.

This is quite a quick but really powerful read, because the verse form allows for much denser narration of events and emotions than regular prose would. It is also valuable that it avoids oversimplification to the effect of “so just leave, you left, good for you, done,” as it explores how all-encompassing the cycles of codependency can be. Some of the secondary characters are a bit schematic (I bet they also have their ghosts; it just wasn’t the focus of the novel), but there are a few really well-written supporting figures.

Publication date: Sep 15, 2026.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley. The opinion above is my own.

[Jennifer Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a young girl, who remains unnamed throughout the book, as she decides to embark on traveling abroad for a year as a high school senior in order to escape her mentally and financialy abusive home situation in California.

In turn, she discovers her found family and embraces her life in a new country on the other side of the globe in Norway.

However, when her past starts to invade her new found life, both with a friend that she trusted and a tragedy back at home, she is quickly brought back to her childhood due to what she feels is obligation to her true birth family. She is then faced with trying to decide if she must stay because of genetics or to do what will make her happy.

I chose to read this middle grade/YA book as I am always looking for new things for my own children to enjoy and myself as well. This was my first time reading a novel in verse, as in the past I did not think it would be something that I would like, but I actually found myself liking the format and I think I went through all the emotions while reading it, finding ways that I could even connect to and empathasize with the narrator. This is one of the reasons I believe the narrator remains unnamed as it allows the reader to better connect with her and her emotions.

Although, I did enjoy this book, I personally would not recommend this to younger middle graders as I think some of the topics discussed in this book are heavy and might need to warrant discussion with an adult that they trust if they choose to read it. However, I do feel it will be appropriate for later middle grade and older.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All Opinions are my own.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One can travel anywhere, but never from oneself.”
🇳🇴
Feeling invisible in a family consumed by a sibling’s addiction, a teen watches their dreams slip away, especially when their college fund is used to pay for rehab. Just as hope seems lost, an unexpected opportunity arises: a scholarship to study abroad in a remote part of Norway. It offers a chance to start over, find independence, and finally discover a place where she truly belongs.
🇳🇴
Set in the 1980s, this was a very powerful novel-in-verse YA debut by @megan_e_freeman_writer that tackles tough realities while still offering hope. I can’t wait to share this with older teens. It’s a reminder that there is life beyond our circumstances and that we have the power to take control of our own futures. This was emotional, empowering and I adored it. This title releases September 15!

CW: fire, injury, drug use, toxic friendship, substance abuse, addiction, theft, suicide (mentioned)

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this novel-in-verse we meet a neglected teen whose brother’s addiction has taken over the family. When they use her college fund for her brother’s rehab, she decides to study abroad and goes to Norway. She ends up staying with a family with two younger children, where she learns to weave on a loom, help with cooking and feel like she belongs to a family. She meets Espen one day and the two date. She finds she’s able to have a normal, happy life and doesn’t really miss the drama at home and not feeling loved. One day there’s a phone call and she has to go back home. When she realizes her parents care more about her brother and trying to help him, she moves out. Her friend gives her a plane ticket and says go back to Norway. Will she go back?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love so much about this book. Set in the 1980s, it tells the story of a teenage girl who's family is struggling to manage the addictions of her older brother. She is overlooked and feels lost, longing to escape the home and head off to college. Instead, she ends up on a foreign exchange trip to Norway.

Reading about her time in Norway was fascinating to me, and I know it is authentic as the author spent time there. This novel in verse is stunning, heartrending, beautiful. The poetry finds impressive ways to convey emotion and keep the plot moving using few, well-chosen, impactful words. Written for young adults and older, this is a book you don't want to miss.

“One can travel anywhere, but never from oneself.”

Thank you to #bookposse for sharing an ARC. Publishes in September of 2026.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young adult (or middle-grade) novel told in verse is almost always guaranteed to captivate me. Given this was Megan E. Freeman (side note: Read Alone and Away while you're waiting for this to be released), I loved this. Set in the 80s, this is about a teen trying to find her place. She has a brother struggling with substance use, and his addiction has consumed her parents' time and family's resources. Wanting a fresh start, she decides to go abroad to Norway. While there, she finds a new place to be, but there are also still some layers of life she must navigate. This is a book that will break your heart with all its emotional happenings, but is also so, so, SO beautiful in the way that the story is told. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this September 2026 read.

[Carlyn Morenus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love verse novels, and I just returned from a trip to Norway, so I was especially excited to read this book. The story is full of emotions, both good and bad. The protagonist, a teen girl in California, feels completely invisible in her family. All her parents can see is her drug-addicted brother. All their attention, their love, their money -- including HER college fund money -- is spent trying to fix her broken brother. So when she is given the opportunity to become an exchange student, she grabs it. What ensues is life-changing. She is placed in a village in far-northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle. Life is fresh, clean, honest. She comes to realize that maybe, just maybe, there is a life for her too. Brutal at times, but filled with beauty and hope.

[Ramona Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. It is written in poetry and it only took a little more than an hour to read it, but there is much to think about in the story. The girl in the story lives with a dysfunctional family. Her brother is trouble in elementary school, in high school and every time her parents find ways to excuse what he does. No one ever pays attention to her. She decides to participate in the exchange student program because then she can get a scholarship to college. She moves to Norway, where she finds a home, and discovers what a family could be like. I will purchase this for my high school library. Share with students who need encouragement to know they have the power to change their circumstances. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc with no pressure for a positive review.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of The Secret to Belonging • I fell into Freeman’s writing as easily as the FMC falls into her journey from a family surrounded by her brother’s addiction to a host family in Norway. Though my story is vastly different, growing up with addiction in my family hits very close to home. Having flown across the world for a semester abroad minus a host family, it meant just as much to me as it does to her.

I just finished this book as I’m writing this so still processing but I will be purchasing my own copy when it’s released. Freeman’s writing, without giving anything away, makes you a part of her story. Less is more in this story telling and I fell in love the prose.

[Literacious (Laura) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The unnamed protagonist of The Secret to Belonging is given the opportunity to become an exchange student in Norway during her senior year of high school, an opportunity that allows her to flee her anonymity and invisibility of her home life. Her older bother struggles with addiction and her parents full energy is focused on him, leaving her to navigate her childhood on her own. When she reaches Norway, she finds a family full of love, opportunities to try new and exciting things, and love. But, when tragedy strikes her family, will they suck her back in, or will she choose prioritizing herself and her future?

This debut YA novel in verse is a powerful coming of age story and a must read.

[Jamie Garity · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret to Belonging is a beautifully written and deeply emotional novel in verse that explores identity, family, and the search for belonging. I was especially moved by how the story shows that neglect can exist even within seemingly “normal” families, and how there is more than one way to define what a family looks like. The writing is lyrical and powerful, and the verse format adds an extra layer of emotion that really highlights the main character’s inner struggles. I found it especially interesting that the protagonist remains nameless throughout the story, which made her experience feel even more universal. The characters are realistic, flawed, and incredibly easy to care about, and I felt so much while reading. This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you finish, and like many books by Megan E. Freeman, it’s one I know I’ll return to again. This is easily a five star read for me and I look forward to buying it for my daughters when it releases. Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret to Belonging by Morgan E. Freeman was unexpected. The novel in verse follows an unnamed American female teenager living in California. Her home life is stressful and falling apart with parents wrapped around her drug addicted brother. She makes a big decision to apply to be an exchange student to escape home. She hopes for a French speaking placement, but ends up in Norway.

Told in 2nd person poetic verse, readers follow the protagonist through her feelings of her family and her exchange year in Norway. I was transported to Norway and am ready to add more Norwegian living to my daily life.

[Payal Doshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful, beautiful, and at times heart-wrenching novel-in-verse. A Secret to Belonging is a coming-of-age story unlike any I’ve read in a long time. There is such raw emotion and quiet power in Megan E. Freeman’s poetry; each poem lands with incredible impact.

While exploring a family’s struggle with addiction, this story also beautifully captures resilience, identity, and what it means to find your place in the world. Watching the main character slowly spread her wings and learn to fly despite the odds was deeply moving.

I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down! Another masterpiece from Megan E. Freeman. Highly, highly recommend.

[Jessica Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find this book to be well-written. It's written in verse and has many moments within it. The main character's name was not mentioned in the book. It’s written in her perspective.

The book is about a neglected teen's travels as an exchange student to Norway. She was looking for a fresh start. Her parents had to use her college funds to pay for her brother's drug rehab. Lucky for her, she has a scholarship as an exchange student.

This book shows that you have to find a way to belong. In addition, starting a fresh start in a different setting.

[Marilynrobbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story about a horrible dysfunctional family life that only the master Megan E. Freeman can tell. Your heart will feel every emotion from anger to relief from shock to joy just to start all over again. This book is heartbreaking because we all know teens that have lived these traumas, but we also know that in life there is always hope, and the understanding that hope can be found anywhere and everywhere in the world. Please read absolutely everything by Megan E. Freeman! You will never regret it!!!

[Kimberly Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for the free advanced reader's copy.

This is the first book I have read by Megan E. Freeman and I devoured it in pretty much one sitting. The character development was strong, and the verse style worked so well to convey emotion even with fewer words. You really feel the protagonists's feelings of abandonment and trauma from her brother's addiction. The Norway setting was a highlight, and I loved watching her grow, gain confidence, and learn more about herself during her foreign exchange. It's a quick read, but still packs an emotional punch.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready to travel to Norway and fall in love! Beautiful poetry, richly drawn characters, and atmospheric settings are your seatbelts for this ride that rockets you through all the human emotions...love, despair, disappointment, betrayal, hope, resilience, confusion, and joy (to name a few)! Be sure to carve out some time before you pick this one up, as you will absolutely not be able to stop reading. The whole book, including the cover and interior design, is gorgeous. I loved it! Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers for sharing ARCs out into the world.

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is what we have all come to expect from Megan Freeman. A book filled with raw emotion and beautiful verse, and yet it was not at all what I’ve come to expect from her. This YA novel-in-verse was a coming-of age story of longing, love and courage. I read it in one sitting and found myself filled with all sorts of emotions. Laughing, crying, raging, this book hit me with all the emotions. I know it is going to be a hit with YA readers and adults. Add it to your TBR, it comes out in September.

[Danielle | daniellereadslikealot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely captivated me from the first page right and long after the last page. Novels in verse are always a big hit with me and this one had so many turns of phrases that just hit me hard. I loved this story of finding a place where you belong, feel safe and not just survive, but thrive. It absolutely made me want to travel to Norway. I also loved the look at addiction and how it not only affects the person with the addiction, but their loved ones. I’m just absolutely in awe of this book. It’s been a minute since a book truly hit me like this and I devoured it so quickly and ferociously. I’m going to need a physical copy of this the minute it releases because I have some serious annotating to do and it deserves a permanent spot on my shelves. Highly HIGHLY recommend this one, especially for fans of YA and novels in verse.


Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers for the digital reader’s copy!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author at ALA and decided to read it on the flight home. WOW. This is a very emotionally driven novel in verse centered on the second born child that is invisible to her family, growing up in the shadow of her brother who has an addiction. It covers addiction, family dysfunction, friendship, new beginnings, and creating boundaries. It does include several references to drugs and sex. I could not put this book down and devoured it in one sitting, which is something I do not regularly do. Highly recommend for HS+

[shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

really fun reading verse in second person pov! it’s probably been YEARS since i read a book in verse so this was a nice way to break up some of the books i’ve been reading recently.

i would’ve absolutely loved this book in middle/high school when i was obsessed with general fiction that touched at deeper topics like this book. also, as someone that grew up surrounded by exchange students and dreamt of being one but never had the chance, i am a little jealous of the FMC despite knowing the reasons she left and what she had to deal with