The 9:09 Project

by Mark H. Parsons

A thoughtful exploration about finding oneself, learning to hope after loss, and recognizing the role that family, friends, and even strangers can play in the healing process if you are open and willing to share your experience with others.

It has been two years since his mom’s death, and Jamison, his dad, and his younger sister seem to be coping, but they’ve been dealing with their loss separately and in different ways. When Jamison has to be reminded of his mother’s birthday, on the day of her birthday, he worries that his memory of her is slipping away, and he is forced to reckon with the passing of time. To help make sense of it, he picks up his camera—the Nikon his mother gave him a few years back.

Jamison begins to take photos of ordinary people on the street, at the same time and place each night. As he focuses his lens on the random people who cross his path, Jamison begins to see the world in a deeper way. His endeavor turns into a school project, and then into something more. Along with his new outlook, Jamison forges new and unexpected friendships at school. But more importantly, he’s able to revive the memory of his mother, and to connect with his father and younger sister once again.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Grief, Contemporary, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit that I was finishing up this book about a 17-year old grieving the loss of his mom *on the 5th anniversary of my mom's passing,* so that fact could certainly have colored my review of this book!
That being said, the author himself wrote this book while his own mom was dying, and I completely resonated with his portrayal of the family members' behaviors following the death of their mom/wife. I also learned so much with this "window" of a book because the protagonist is a photographer (I *never* edit my photos but now am tempted to learn how!) and he has synesthesia (which the author himself has). I booktalked this book to 7th graders whose teachers asked them to find a book that represented a "window," and I was able to link its mirroring (death of my mom) with the photography and synesthesia windows. I got a little choked up while describing the mirroring aspect of the book and how friends and family helped our protagonist in his grieving journey because that very night the friend who had dropped everything at work to meet me at the hospital when my mom passed away was meeting me after school. Just as she has... every year since my mom's passing. A student immediately asked to check out this book and I have another student who has since requested it. Highly recommended.

[lily ✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

[4.5 stars]

[Anna Juline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this story and the relationships between all of the characters. Made it even better that I got to meet the author earlier this month :)

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book , the idea was executed well and the main characters are believable and interesting. It was good to see teens interact with each other in a normal manner and the progression of the story was smooth. This was a great read.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the story's plot centered around a parental death, it was more of the process of grieving and coping in a positive way. It was sad at times, but the majority of the time, it was about healing and growing.
I really liked the writing style. The author kept a good pace with interesting things happening to keep the story moving. And the relationships between the characters were really well done so there were many times that you laugh - or at least smile.
I would definitely read more by this author.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great story. A young man honors his mother by taking random photos of people at 9:09pm, the time his mother passed away a few years previous. The people he meets, and the influence he has on others has that every person has worth and has something to contribute to this life.

I especially loved that the author was able to write from personal experience of synesthesia, and also losing his own mother to breast cancer while in the process of writing this novel. The authenticity comes through in the details of the story.

Great book - I could hardly put it down.

[Izzys_Internet_Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

I really enjoyed this book, from the plot to the characters, my only problem with it was how I felt the ending was just off somehow.

[Jenifer Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet YA novel that made me contemplate life, death, relationships, and photography in new ways.

[Myrtle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very well executed. A little predictable, but it really made you think even after you read it and I loved that. Also makes you see the world differently. Highly reccomend

[Allie ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Remember this moment."

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

In addition to many things, this is a case of fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Jamison's been stuck in grief since his mom died of cancer at 9:09 pm. As you read about how he's come to use that exact time and a particular street corner to take photos, there comes a point where he thinks back to that exact moment, allowing you to really understand why it stuck with him. Then, there are the other characters in the book; his still grieving and very thoughtful father, his younger sister, his best friend, the manipulative girl he once had a crush on, the stereotypical horndogs he sometimes sits with, and AK47, the mysterious and prickly new girl who is the one who 'gets' him better than anyone. When these are mixed together, the cherry on top are the quotes starting each chapter by Dorothea Lange sharing her thoughts about photography, and the evolution of the 9:09 website he and his friend have created There's more good stuff I could add, but you can read the book to find them. It's a stunner and deserves a spot in many libraries.

[Caradith Craven · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A few years ago my mom gave me a book about a photographer from the 1930s who talked about photography happening more in the mind than in the camera.... As I sat there, people-watching out the window and practicing taking pictures without a camera, trying to figure out what my project was about, it occurred to me that people spend a lot of time on their phones trying to make everything in their lives look better than it really is." --The 9:09 Project

From the author of ROAD RASH comes a compelling, impassioned YA story of coping with grief and loss through the lens of a camera his mother gave him. Jamison's love of photography leads him to reignite his mom's memory and connect with family, friends, and strangers he meets on the street.

He creates a school assignment known as "The 9:09 Project" that allows him to see beyond the snapshot of people's faces and discover the true meaning of their lives behind the veil. He is able to capture the joy, pain, suffering, anxiety, love, victories, and defeats that embrace the true meaning of their life journeys. He made a decision that would give him the mission statement for his project: "Show life as it really is."

Mark Parsons is a master storyteller who brings his characters into the consciousness and reality of his readers by showing their lives as they really are. He not only creates intriguing plots with his imagination and vivid use of poignant language; he relies on his personal knowledge of photography and personal grief and loss of his mom to make this unforgettable story more authentic and realistic. He has given his characters a strong voice and crafted a remarkable novel with the power of his words.

This book belongs on YA library shelves across the country and in the homes of YA readers everywhere.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark H. Parsons writes an amazing story about a boy trying to find his way in the world after the loss of his mother. The art of photography and prose are so well woven together in this YA realistic fiction novel. Dorothea Lance's quotes guide each chapter. I absolutely loved this story.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m 66 y/o, newly widowed, and work in an indie bookstore. When this YA book arrived in our new releases, the synopsis sounded like something I could relate to even in my old age! And I’m so glad I read it! Very well written, heart wrenching at times, poignant but also sweet and hopeful. My husband and I were high school sweethearts so even the young ages of the main characters really spoke to my heart.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, young or old, who’s experienced young love, or any sort of loss and grieving and is striving towards healing. Oh, and the photography details and history woven throughout the story are a huge added plus!

[Judgie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect story about a teen who loses his mom and finds a way to carry on her legacy. A must read.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite seriously teetering between 4 and 5 stars for this one, but I decided on five because taste reasons, it probably will be more of a four later in my life if I read it again since right now I’m definitely in that teenage drama era of my life, so I could relate and it was enjoyable for me, as a teenager to read.

Lemme say the real quick things I was meh about, before I talk about how much I liked it. I felt like the writing was a bit straightforward sometimes, which broke the fourth wall, but a little awkwardly, and sometimes it pulled me out of the story a little bit. There is also a fair bit of cussing, which I have no problem with in literature, but I do know that degrades books for other people.

Kay. That's all the bad stuff.

NOTE. At this point, I’m going to start spoiling, but I’m adding the first bit because I really think other people should read this.











This book made me cry. This book made me squeal. This book made me rage. And the thing was, it wasn’t all DRAMA DRAMA for page padding, at least in my opinion. I mean, sure, there was certainly some things that felt kind of unnecessary to the 9:09 aspect of this book.

It made me cry. All the stuff about his mom, and other family relationships, even Ollie sometimes, and a bit of Kennedy when she opened up a little, I definitely cried.

It made me squeal. The romance isn’t quite a slowburn, because the romance isn’t really what it's about. Note to writer self, I want to try writing a bit like this. I feel like my stories end up being “it's about romance and this as well.” This book was “it's about his mom and romance as well.” I think I want a bit of that in my books. Assi WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. And I had this thing going for Ollie and Seth the whole time. They literally talked and I got all giddy.

It made me rage. Beal, literally GO AWAY. Kennedy LITERALLY GO AWAY. Kennedy, STOP MAKING ME FEEL BAD FOR YOU ����. Jamison, STOP FALLING FOR KENNEDY.

All in all, I liked the book. I felt like the characters had personality, and I felt like I could understand Jamison, and I was satisfied with the romance, while also happy it didn’t take over the whole book, because that would have been annoying.

[Maleah Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book 4 stars. I enjoyed reading it and the entire plot of the book was really interesting. The main character learns to find hope after losing his mom. His mom died at 9:09, so he decided to start this project where he takes a photo at the same spot every day at 9:09. The author had good descriptions and I felt close to the character while reading the book.
One thing I loved about this book was how well the characters develop throughout the book. It’s not just the main character, but the side characters developed well too. The author has a good choice of language and I liked the structure of the book in general. How the book looked was very pleasing to the eyes. The author had a great idea with this book, and it was executed it very well, which was why the book was so good. Progression throughout the book was easy to understand and smooth. My favorite part was probably the depth of synesthesia, since I really have never seen it in any other book, and it made it more interesting to read. I would definitely recommend reading this book since I haven’t seen many genres like this before.
This book did not have many things that I didn’t enjoy. The only thing that I didn’t enjoy was how it was a little predictable, but it really made you think. I also didn’t really like the subplot with Kennedy Brooks. It probably could’ve just been left out entirely. It wasn’t that bad, but it almost felt out of nowhere. There was also very little progression to that subplot with Kennedy Brooks, which is why it felt so unnecessary and almost boring.
I learned more about synesthesia, which I didn’t really know about before. I liked the idea the author had of making the main character have this disease. Throughout the book, Jamison links colors to numbers and letters, and his synthesia gets stronger at some points. I found it really interesting when he would start talking about the different colors of numbers he saw and his thought process in general. It helped me understand more about this disease and what it actually is.

[book_lovers.unite · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐉𝐀

♥︎ 𝐓𝐲𝐭𝐮𝐥: ,,𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒌𝒕 21:09"
♥︎ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫: @markhparsonsauthor
♥︎ 𝐖𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐰𝐨: @wydawnictwoendorfina
♥︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐞𝐤: 16+

[𝐰𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐰𝐚 ]

𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚: ★★★★✩

❀ ,,𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒌𝒕 21:09" to bardzo poruszająca i emocjonalna historia. To nie jest łatwa książka, ponieważ przepełniona jest bólem i cierpieniem. Pokazuje, jak poradzić sobie ze stratą bliskiej osoby i daje nam nadzieję. Każdy z nas inaczej przeżywa żałobę. Książka uczy nas, że życie trzeba cenić i doceniać każdą z chwil. Muszę przyznać, za to bardzo wartościowa i potrzebna historia.

❀ W książce tej autor porusza ciężkie tematy, takie jak między innymi strata bliskiej osoby, żałoba i radzenie sobie z nią oraz trudne relacje rodzinne. Możemy znaleźć tu takie wątki i motywy jak siła przyjaźni i miłości, pasja do sztuki. Do sięgnięcia po tą pozycję zachęciły mnie właśnie te tematy, opis, jak i wydanie książki, które jest piękne (barwione brzegi).

❀ Styl pisania autora bardzo przypadł mi do gustu i go polubiłam. Jest niesamowicie lekki i komfortowy. Dzięki temu przyjemnie i miło spędziłam czas.

❀ Bohaterowie są dobrze wykreowani i nawet można powiedzieć, że ich polubiłam. Mają bardzo ciekawe i różnorodne charaktery, dzięki czemu są barwni, a nie płytcy. Główny bohater jest dla mnie dosyć ciekawą postacią, dojrzałą emocjonalnie i mądrą życiowo.

❀ Motyw choroby głównego bohatera jest tutaj bardzo dobrze opisany i przedstawiony. Książka ta to poruszająca opowieść o żałobie, samotności i poszukiwaniu siebie. Autor umiejętnie wplata tutaj wątki fotograficzne i relacji międzyludzkich. Historia i fabuła jest oryginalna i wyjątkowa.

❀ Książka bardzo mi się spodobała i jak najbardziej przypadła mi do gustu. Ogromnie wam ją polecam! 🤍 Naprawdę warto poznać tą historię, szczególnie, jeśli uwielbiacie smutne i poruszające powieści New Adult 🥰

[Pete Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 9:09 Project is the story of a grieving family still reeling from the passing of the mother two years prior. The protagonist Jamison (J) is a thoughtful and sensitive high school student looking for ways to pay tribute to his mother while helping others with their grief. As someone who is passionate about photography, he decides to recognize his mother by asking strangers' permission to photgraph them at the same corner at 9:09 p.m., the precise time his mom passed while he was sitting with her

J has synthesia, a phenomenon that causes sensory crossovers. He sees the world differently than most people and has some difficulties making friends, unlike his younger sister Ollie. His lone tech friend helps him set up an interactive photography website that quickly grows in popularity but also creates unforeseen problems. Some people in school try to use him while others think he is intruding in people's personal lives. He initially loves the attention of Kennedy Brooks, the hottest girl in the school, who asks J to help her create a modeling portfolio. While some of the other guys thinks this makes him lucky, J realizes that what he finds more potent than looks is a girl who can stimulate his mind. He meets such a girl (Assi, nicknamed AK-47) in his AP lit class. The problem is she seems to really dislike him, though connected by the loss of a parent.

Though J misses his mom more than anything, his project helps him connect with Ollie and his dad as they all deal with their grief in separate ways. I found this to be a compelling read.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has been two years since his mom’s death, and Jamison, his dad, and his younger sister seem to be coping, but they’ve been dealing with their loss separately and in different ways. When Jamison has to be reminded of his mother’s birthday, on the day of her birthday, he worries that his memory of her is slipping away, and he is forced to reckon with the passing of time. To help make sense of it, he picks up his camera—the Nikon his mother gave him a few years back.
Jamison begins to take photos of ordinary people on the street, at the same time and place each night. As he focuses his lens on the random people who cross his path, Jamison begins to see the world in a deeper way. His endeavor turns into a school project, and then into something more. Along with his new outlook, Jamison forges new and unexpected friendships at school. But more importantly, he’s able to revive the memory of his mother, and to connect with his father and younger sister once again.

I liked the idea of this book, but if this is a book for middle school age , I had a hard time buying into the dad offering his son beer, the brother supposedly looking out for his sister but taking her to drinking parties. Is this a behavior we want to encourage in kids of any age? The F word was also used freely...can't we set a better standard than that for our middle school kids?

[Lommie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seldom read YA genre books. But this one is an exception. The book is intriguing because of the premise. It’s very unique to me. It isn’t a love story. The story follows a boy named Jamison Deever who’s recovering from loss, using art as his coping mechanism to healing and grieving. It also talks about how Jamison accepts any possibilities and making connections to rebuild good relationship with his family and friends. It also has an introduction of synesthesia. It’s a rare condition of how a person’s brain works.

I am being emotionally invested in this book because each chapter has a strong beginning with inspirational messages from Dorothea Lange (an American documentary photographer). After a few chapters and out of curiosity, I actually googled her. I’ve learned a few about her. This has made my reading experience more enjoyable and purposeful. It turns out to be exceptionally impactful and moving for me. I may not be a professional photographer, but it has given me an aspiration to appreciate pictures more that are expressive and have stories to tell.

Overall, this book is realistic and genuine. Young or old, this book is totally recommendable.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Solid YA contemporary exploring grief (and how creativity is a great way for expressing that grief). Jamison's grief felt very authentic and it was easy for me to connect to him. I enjoyed Jamison as a protagonist and particularly liked seeing the relationships between him and his sister Ollie, his emerging friendship with Seth, and the eventual romance that happens between him and the girl known as "AK-47". I also loved reading from the POV of a character with synesthesia as well as seeing the evolution of his photography project.

Occasionally I found the story a bit repetitive and the writing was a bit too Straight Teen Boy for my personal liking. I also didn't love the subplot with Kennedy Brooks and felt it could've just been left out - it wasn't entirely bad but I felt like an unnecessary distraction from the main plot and her character never felt fully developed for the amount of time that was spent on her (which is a shame because I liked the potential that was there - she had some Brooke Davis from OTH vibes).

My own issues aside I do think this is a great YA contemporary that I can see connecting with a lot of teen readers.

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this entire audiobook today, so I'd say the story is definitely engaging. It's a character-driven exploration of grief and coping with the loss of a loved one, especially a parent. But there are also conversations about art, about writing, and about dating/relationships. There's a little bit of something for everyone in this book.

The characters are really what drive this story, especially Jamison and his art project. He's trying to find a way to connect with his mother who had passed away from cancer with his camera. I honestly loved the concept of his project, taking photos at 9:09, which was the time that his mother passed away. There's a lot of reflection in this book, and while sometimes that kind of book can seem slow, Parsons still did a good job keeping up the pace.

I don't think this book got a lot of buzz or promotion, but it's definitely one to keep on your radar!

[Katya Cengel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamison isn’t sure how to interact with people, his little sister Ollie is better at social situations. Like many teenagers, Jamison struggles to find his place in high school – and beyond. A neurological condition called synesthesia that causes Jamison to associate certain things with certain colors doesn’t help, neither does a dead mother. Then Jamison stumbles on a way to use his loss and his unique way of looking at the world for a photography project. The resulting 9:09 project becomes more than just a way to honor his late mother. Through his camera lens Jamison finds friends and a feeling of belonging.
The beauty of this book lies in its simplicity. Instead of a complicated plot Mark Parsons focuses on complex characters and details that help place readers in Jamison’s world. A great read for anyone who has ever struggled to find their place – which is probably most of us.

[Allyson Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored the concept of this book and think it played out so nicely! I love the relationships in this book, especially the relationship between Jamison and his sister. I also love that this book shows that it's not always best to keep your feelings inside. From Jamison's POV, while his mom was sick and after she passed away he ended up losing friends. It can definitely make a person want to close off and not talk about what they are going through. I love that Jamison found an outlet with photography but also that he found someone to talk to that could really relate to what he was going through. The idea of taking pictures at the same time his mom died seems a little morbid at face value but I love that it tied into his experience of seeing people just living their normal lives at the same time his life completely changed.

[Jabiz Raisdana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure what took me so long to finish this novel—it had nothing to do with the plot, the characters, or the writing. In fact, this is a well-crafted book, rich with meaningful character development, relationships, grief, and the power of art.

That said, this is a book for a very particular kind of reader—someone who isn’t looking for fast-paced or twisty plotlines. The story moves slowly and deliberately, focusing more on the emotional journeys of the characters and how art—whether through writing, restoration, or photography—connects and heals them.

It’s a YA novel that reads like an adult one in both its style and pacing. I’m not sure yet who the right reader will be, but I’m excited to find them in my class. I have no doubt that for the right student, this book could be transformative.

[Jan Raspen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite subgenre: grief relief. The characters in this book were all pretty amazing--quick witted, smart, and authentic. Jamison, the 17 year old protagonist, embarks on a photography project to help him honor the memory of his mom, who passed away when he was 15. This project brings him interactions with new friends, some frenemies, and even fame, but most important, it brings him closer to his family. I loved how we were inside J's head as he worked through all his emotions--that was my favorite part of the book. My least favorite parts of the book were Kennedy (what was her deal) and the "let's learn some important lessons" that came about at the end of the book. But that drive-thru window idea? Inspired.

[LPMS Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful story about working through grief, finding and respecting your true self, and the power of art (mostly photography and writing) in transforming lives. Readers will cheer for Jamison as he navigates the murky waters of a high school social hierarchy and determines what true connection looks like, all while discovering a meaningful and authentic way to cope with the devastating grief caused by his mother's death a year before.

While the beginning of the story was beautifully written, compelling, and well-developed the ending felt a little rushed despite the build-up through the rest of the narrative.

The 9:09 Project is a must purchase novel for any collection that serves upper middle and high school students.

[Janessa Paun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book and the way that it dealt with grief and the way that many people handle it. I also liked the reasoning behind the mistakes in this show. The reasoning behind a lot of questionable choices that were made made sense. Except for that one girl, being lonely and jealous isn't an excuse to use people and be a terrible person. If anything her forgiveness arc and the justification that she got from other characters is the one thing that I hate about this book. Besides that I really liked this book and the way that bonds were formed in it and the way that it can take awhile to see who a character truly is. I also really liked the AP Lang class in this book even if it was vastly different from my own experience, I was not having that much fun at all.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. After his mom dies, J honors her by photographing whatever is happening on a special corner every night at 9:09 pm, the time of his mother’s death. He finds way more than he is looking for when he’s least expecting it, and uncovers his talent for finding the story in the everyday. He is inspired through the book by the work of Dorothea Lange, and each of the chapters begins with a quote from her. I liked, too, how J and his mom both see the world very differently than others- they have synesthesia that makes them experience senses in connection with other senses (like numbers having association with a certain color). It’s not a huge point in the book but does add depth to J’s character and his talents. Really a great YA read that is a 2025 Beehive Award nominee.