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Denial
Nova loves Leo, her first boyfriend. After they have sex for the first time, her feelings for him intensify. When Leo starts to pull away from her as their last few months of high school approach, Nova's feelings towards him begin to border on obsession, made worse by her jealously over his close relationship with his swim teammate, the beautiful Jada.
The tighter Nova tries to hold on to Leo, the more he seems to pull away. When the inevitable happens and Leo breaks up with her, Nova's mental health deteriorates.
Even Nova knows she's not handling things well, but could there be another reason for it she doesn't want to admit to herself, or to anybody?
The tighter Nova tries to hold on to Leo, the more he seems to pull away. When the inevitable happens and Leo breaks up with her, Nova's mental health deteriorates.
Even Nova knows she's not handling things well, but could there be another reason for it she doesn't want to admit to herself, or to anybody?
176 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2022
24 people want to read
About the author
Lorna Schultz Nicholson
71 books79 followersLorna Schultz Nicholson is an award winning author who has published over 50 books, including children's picture books, middle grade, YA fiction and sports non-fiction. Lorna divides her time between Edmonton and Penticton, where she and her husband share their homes with their Mexican rescue dog.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 7, 2023
I would be the one teacher who voted against her valedictorian speech.
April 13, 2023
Though I've been uber busy, I'm always reading and I love young adult (YA). So often, YA deals with themes that resonate into adulthood and the timelessness of the narrative can satisfy more mature readers. This is definitely one of those books.
DENIAL really caught my eye.
This is a young adult novel that hooks the reader right from the first page.
It is visceral, emotional, and also mysterious.
The reader isn't quite sure where the journey will take them as the author twists and turns the story in so many directions.
This is a story about a young girl named Nova.
She's on a swim team, she tutors other students, gets great grades, and even has a popular, athletic boyfriend, but she's also got family issues and insecurities.
Life is good, but Nova is ready for more.
She wants to move her relationship with her boyfriend to the next level of intimacy. Her best friend encourages her and romantic dreams of seeing shooting stars and rainbows fill her imagination.
Nova is a typical young woman with insecurities and personal issues. These are portrayed thoughout the novel and Schultz Nicholson does a fantastic job in bringing that personal angst and doubt to the forefront in a believable way.
This book deals with relationships, love, disappointment, and so much more.
If you're a parent of a young teen--girl or boy--I'd highly recommend you read this and then have them read it and ask them if they figured out the "twist".
Chances are, they didn't and that is what is so fantastic about the way this book is written.
This is a catalyst for discussion. There's so much to learn from this book that it would be a shame if it wasn't taken advantage of.
Personally, this is the kind of book I'd like to see in high school libraries or even read and discussed in class.
Go read it and let me know your thoughts. Did you have it figured out? Would your teen know?
DENIAL really caught my eye.
This is a young adult novel that hooks the reader right from the first page.
It is visceral, emotional, and also mysterious.
The reader isn't quite sure where the journey will take them as the author twists and turns the story in so many directions.
This is a story about a young girl named Nova.
She's on a swim team, she tutors other students, gets great grades, and even has a popular, athletic boyfriend, but she's also got family issues and insecurities.
Life is good, but Nova is ready for more.
She wants to move her relationship with her boyfriend to the next level of intimacy. Her best friend encourages her and romantic dreams of seeing shooting stars and rainbows fill her imagination.
Nova is a typical young woman with insecurities and personal issues. These are portrayed thoughout the novel and Schultz Nicholson does a fantastic job in bringing that personal angst and doubt to the forefront in a believable way.
This book deals with relationships, love, disappointment, and so much more.
If you're a parent of a young teen--girl or boy--I'd highly recommend you read this and then have them read it and ask them if they figured out the "twist".
Chances are, they didn't and that is what is so fantastic about the way this book is written.
This is a catalyst for discussion. There's so much to learn from this book that it would be a shame if it wasn't taken advantage of.
Personally, this is the kind of book I'd like to see in high school libraries or even read and discussed in class.
Go read it and let me know your thoughts. Did you have it figured out? Would your teen know?
May 3, 2022
In Denial, Nicholson mastered capturing the teenage female voice. The visceral raw and honest portrayal of a girl, is why I could not put this one down! Protagonist, Nova is in her final year of high school and in a solid relationship with her popular and athletic boyfriend, Leo. Things between them begin to intensify, both sexually and emotionally, and Nova begins to spiral. The ferocity of her emotions, state of mind, and ultimate reactions become reckless, impulsive and send her into a turmoil of manic and depressive episodes. She is also dealing with body changes that she is repressing both emotionally and physically. I found this character to be hauntingly on point, it is hard to admit how much so. Female adolescents are impressionable, fragile, and can be misunderstood. I found that Nicholson reminded me of some of those difficult times that as a young woman I felt shame or silenced or denied. I wish I had read this when I was younger, although this book can certainly reach wider audiences!
November 20, 2022
I picked Denial up on a whim, and let me just say that I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. This book does such a great job at portraying an adolescent experiencing mental health issues and coping with relationship problems while tackling high school. I kept seeing my 16-year-old self in Nova. Needless to say, Denial is one of those books that is going to stay with me for a while. <3
November 26, 2024
EWEWEW.
Just.. no. Sorry, but a DNF for me. If you read it, you’ll understand. I picked it up thinking it would be some sort of murder mystery or story of dealing with the aftermath of committing a crime, but what I did read was far from my expectations- and not exactly in a good way. Did not care for the accidental pregnancy trope (and never will).
If it changes later on, let me know, because I stopped reading about 70-80% of the way through
Just.. no. Sorry, but a DNF for me. If you read it, you’ll understand. I picked it up thinking it would be some sort of murder mystery or story of dealing with the aftermath of committing a crime, but what I did read was far from my expectations- and not exactly in a good way. Did not care for the accidental pregnancy trope (and never will).
If it changes later on, let me know, because I stopped reading about 70-80% of the way through
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews