The messiness is what all the teens will appreciate the way they like Glasgow and Nowlin.

And it is and has layers to peel back. As an adult reader, I can see the layers in ways that a teen would be living in the intensity of Mel's discovery of her long-lost twin sister, the awkwardness of this new relationship with a boy that's bringing up the tragedy of her past relationship with another boy, her impending eighteenth birthday in which she's age out of the foster system however her placement now seems to be going swimmingly, and things being upended about what she thought she knew about her life. Luckily there are some friends here to help her bounce ideas off of but also the maturity of this new boy, the calm of her foster parents, and a few other trusted adults to start allowing her to think through the trauma that she has experienced (including uncovering what she never really remembered about her mother).

Again, it's intense but it's a good kind of Ashley Woodfolk mixed with every awesome YA biography around topics such as foster care or feeling "thrown away" or unwanted or questioning your self-esteem such as [book:Ordinary Hazards|43787195] or [book:Work With What You Got: A Memoir|66191040]. Excellent debut by this author.

Not About A Boy is a raw, heavy, and necessary read. Before I start, there are lots of trigger warnings (depression, suicide, drug use, overdose, death of a parent, trauma) with this one so please take care of yourself prior to reading. Amélie is only 17 but has experienced so much that has contributed to her depression and her world view. What felt special and unique about this book is that the author doesn't shy away from the darkness that surrounds depression. Hollis describes depression in a way that is so accurate it makes your heart drop multiple times.

I also loved the therapy representation in this book. Amélie's second therapist is so hopeful, endearing, and reassuring in all of the ways that Amélie needed her to be.

Lastly, the friendship in this book made me feel hopeful in ways that I didn't anticipate. It reminded me of the healing that can occur within the arms of our found family.
Not About A Boy is one of my most impactful reads of this year, I highly recommend!

Our protagonist lives with foster parents, but instead of the poverty and abuse that most faster narratives include, this story is set in an affluent and caring home. But that doesn't protect her from trauma and a history of addiction.