Julie Wright's The Art of Us tells a powerful story about teenagers hiding secrets and the impact those secrets have on their lives.

The main character, Ireland Raine, is homeless and has been abandoned by her parents. She lives in a dirty public restroom at the edge of a forest, trying her hardest to appear normal while feeling uncertain about what the future holds.

Kal Ellis seems to have everything going for him. He’s good-looking, smart, and liked by his peers, but he struggles with deep sadness after his close friend tragically passes away. He doesn't know how to move forward with his life.

Mara Washington is a popular and beautiful girl from a wealthy background, but she also hides secrets from those around her. These three teens go to the same high school and soon find their lives connected in unexpected ways.

The Art of Us beautifully captures both the joy and heartbreak of youth. It tackles difficult topics that many young adults face. Julie Wright has a talent for writing inspiring stories that resonate with the deep feelings of teenagers dealing with challenges beyond their control. The characters feel real, making it easy for readers to relate to their struggles.

I was moved by The Art of Us, as it teaches important lessons about trust, hope, forgiveness, courage, and standing up for others. This book is a wonderful choice for teens and their parents alike.

Julie Wright is a delightful new star in YA literature! She has such an amazing way of capturing the struggles both seen & unseen of teens today. This touching story really drew me in & I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships, relationships, & seeing how adults can be a better influence in the lives of teens.

Ireland Raine’s a talented artist, intelligent, pretty, & appears to have it all together. But, underneath her quiet demeanor is a girl harboring a big secret. She’s homeless, & not only that, having to fend for herself. When her secret crush, handsome, new boy Kal, asks her on a date to see his band play, she uncharacteristically agrees. Their friendship grows as they work together on an art mural, but when Ireland’s secret gets out she has to navigate rumors at school, a new foster care placement with her enemy Mara Washington, & finding out the one person she thought she could trust revealed her secret.

Kal Ellis is named after Superman, literally. With his name comes a feeling of responsibility, especially when previously keeping a secret resulted in a devastating loss. When he sees Ireland’s plight, it’s hard for him not to say something. He also faces a difficult decision when he learns another classmate’s secret.

This story was so good! It really made me aware of the issues homeless teens face. I really felt for Ireland & admired her creativity in finding ways to support herself. I loved the Washington family & the way they took her in & gave her a safe place to land. Even though Mara was her enemy at first, I enjoyed the way they helped each other & taught each other to “howl.” Mara faces her own difficult problem & I appreciated her struggle to speak up.

I loved the way this story helps teens see when it’s important to tell an adult & how to go about doing it. The romance between Ireland & Kal was so good & brought back all those feelings of first love. The focus though is on the problems these teens face & how to navigate life changing circumstances when you feel alone. I also appreciated messages of forgiveness, but also letting go of the toxic people in your life. The ending was fabulous & had me in tears!

Highly recommend this book to teens 14 & up. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own & voluntarily provided.

High school is hard for everyone. If you think life is perfect for someone, you probably don’t know them well enough. Everyone is going through hard things. This book addresses the importance of seeing past the surface to what is really going on in the life of those we love.

Ireland Raine is homeless after her dad recently walked out on her but doesn’t want anyone to know. She lives in a public bathroom and hopes to get by for a few more months until she turns 18. Kal Ellis is a genuinely nice guy Ireland has a crush on, but nobody knows the heaviness he carries. Mara Washington is pretty, popular, and wealthy. Her life appears to be perfect, but her boyfriend Rowan isn’t all he seems.

This book covers very heavy topics like homelessness, abandonment, sexual assault, death of a friend, and betrayal in addition to the rudeness teens experience from peers. The author explores when to keep secrets and when it’s needed to tell someone, and cutting ties with toxic people. I like the way the teens use art and music to express the things they otherwise hide and to communicate with each other.

In the acknowledgments, Julie Wright talks about high school being difficult for her too. It is interesting she says, “Some high school romances really are the real deal” because “the boy I dated grew up to be the man I married.” Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC to use for my review.

Such a great story, and very eye-opening. What would you do if you found out that a friend of yours was homeless? Would you tell an adult so they could help your friend? Would you try to help? Leave it alone and wait for your friend to confide in you? So many choices, and each one could have lasting repercussions. The author does a wonderful job of bringing these issues to light but in such a way that it's more uplifting and hopeful than depressing. I highly recommend this book.

I didn't really know what to expect when I read the synopsis. I couldn't figure out how Ireland could feel so betrayed but still like Kal, but as I read the book I was entranced! The characters are fun, the story is relatable, and the character arcs are beautiful. The way that you can touch people's lives is so beautiful! Excellent read!

This was a heartbreaking and yet hopeful book. The Art of Us is written by Julie Write and it is one of her YA novels. The characters and story draw you in as you read about their experiences and struggles. This was definitely not a light read but it touched on important topics.
Ireland and Kal were both going through different things and they were such unique characters. I felt for them both as they tried to figure how to navigate life and the situations that faced them.
Both of the characters had to grow on me, but I felt as if I understood them as I reached the end of the book. There were so many heavy topics that were touched upon in this book. Ireland was facing homelessness and Kal was faced with the decision of fixing out to do with the information that he knew.
I would recommend this book to teens. Although it is a heavier book, it remains hopeful and points to a better future. The Art of Us is a clean contemporary YA novel.
Content warnsings: homelessness, implied sexual harassment, abandonment by a parent, death of a friend (past)

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Let's start with the cover - it's beautiful and emotional, just like this book.
This book deals with heavy things in a good way. Honesty, trust, secrets, abandonment, assault, homelessness. It opened my eyes in a way I wish they didn't need to be. But I regret nothing
This book is absolutely worth your time.

Content Warning: off page sexual assault, off page abandonment, bullying, homelessness

Julie Wright validates that a beautiful story full of tough topics can be told without profanity. The authenticity of the hardships that many teens face can be tragic but also powerful in illustrating the resiliency of human nature. The idea of using art to pull out emotions is touching. Visual words and images can tell a story that may be too hard to speak of out loud. Secondary characters needed a little more depth although I can easily see Wright using these characters to tell their "story" in future novels.

I absolutely loved this book. It gripped me from the start. Ireland is a homeless teenage girl who is keeping secrets from everyone around her. A boy tries to befriend her but he has his own secrets. I highly recommend this book.

I know the author more from her clean historical romances. But last year she wrote a compelling YA novel, Swimming in a Sea of Stars (Aug 2023). The Art of Us is another complex YA story. Ireland has been left by her father and is trying to finish her last year of high school. She is living in a public restroom slightly hidden near a hiking path. She is almost 18 and is fearful of being put in the system. She knows Kal from school but never talks to him. He spots her sneaking taking leftover pizza from the pizza parlor his band plays at on weekends. He wants to help her and isn’t sure how. Kal has his own back story that includes losing a past friend.

Housing insecurity is a real issue in today’s world. My neighbor's job at a high school is to have daily check-ins with 40 at-risk students making sure they are safe and have food and other things needed to be in school. The storyline is handled well, including when is it all right to seek help from an adult. There is a secondary storyline that includes bullying and an attempted assault. This isn’t an easy high school romance book. But it is engaging and there is realism. The romance between Ireland and Kal is sweet and includes some kisses. I love that there are adults and friends who are trying to do the right thing. And there is even a lesson in forgiveness so you can move on but that doesn’t include having to take toxic people back into your life. I think this is well written and can be appreciated by middle schoolers and up.

The Art of Us by Julie Wright, 272 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $20.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Ireland (17yo) is sure that nothing could be worse than being homeless and living in a public restroom, but at least she has a roof and door that locks. When Kal accidently learns Ireland’s secret, he sees a chance to help someone—to make up for failing to help an old friend. When is it right to keep a secret, and when is it right to howl out loud?
The majority of Wright’s characters all want to do the right thing, and readers get to see where those desires crash into each other. Readers are confronted with the reality that not every “right thing,” as seen by the characters, can coexist. I also love that Ireland, who has next to nothing when readers meet her, is full of humor and love for life despite her circumstances, which adds balance to the serious situations Wright addresses.
Ireland is described as “fair,” and Kal is described as having “olive” skin. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, kissing, innuendo, sexual harassment, and for mentions of drugs, illegal activity, and rape. The violence rating is for mentions of guns, human trafficking, suicide, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

An important story about how art can connect us and help us to communicate. The teens in this story are all dealing with difficult and isolating circumstances, yet their school mural brings them together and builds understanding.

Wow! I'm loving these YA books from Julie Wright! I've loved reading her books in other genres but this one and her previous book pulled me in, touched my heart and left me pondering the struggles we have and that we hide away to appear "fine." It's amazing when those walls are brought down and we allow a trusted person in to help us. I highly recommend for all readers to pick up this book and her previous YA book, Swimming in a Sea of Stars. Very well written! Definitely emotional and thought provoking.

Ireland and Kal were so adorable. Yes, there is a sweet and clean romance written throughout this story and it was adorable and heartwarming. But the friendship and "seeing" a person in need was so the more prevalent theme in this book. These two characters both have their secrets. And there are struggles when they get shared and other students aren't very kind. But I loved seeing the goodness of so many characters throughout the book. Sometimes, trusting is very hard, but when we find the right people to trust, healing and peace and thriving can happen.

This is a book I'll be recommending to lots of people and will probably get a physical copy of it to share!

Content: Clean. Between the asterisks are spoilers and possible trigger warnings!
*******************A character is abandoned by parents and living on their own trying to hide it from others. Another character has a student who tried to force himself on her while they were kissing, that is only talked about and not shown, the author was very sensitive to how she wrote about it and showed support for the one character and the consequences for the other.****************

I received a copy from the publisher, Shadow Mountain, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

This was a fascinating book about teen homelessness. It addresses bullying , stigma , “cool crowds”, and discusses rape and or sexual harassment .
I appreciated the relationships discussed and welcomed in this book. It wasn’t necessarily a light read but I thought it discussed differing issues in an approachable manner .

Ireland is a high school girl whose dad ran and left her alone . She found a bathroom in the woods to clean and then live in.

Kai is a high school boy who has a supportive family . He loves art and loves Ireland .

Kai asks Ireland out on a date and she says yes for the free pizza . He then asks her to help with a high school art project and always brings food so she can eat .

This book discusses when you tell a parent or adult something . What you should say to an adult and what to say to friends .

I thought this friendship and eventual love story is a beautiful read about two high school students coming from complete different backgrounds. Overcoming homelessness and other issues .


Thank you to Netgalley for a download in exchange for a review .

This book was stirring and emotional moving. The characters were dynamic and complex. The story demonstrated how tough high school can be and how difficult it is to navigate hardships. There is no swearing, a couple of mentions of drinking at parties. Kisses only.

"The Art of Us" is story of young love and I'm here for it. The story involves a lot of social issues but it is great for both teenagers and adults. I loved the way that the teens actually behaved as teens, I can't wait to read it again.

This book was cute but also touched on topics of homelessness, parental abandonment, mention of parental alcohol abuse, & sexual assault. Ireland is a teen who became homeless & found herself sleeping behind a church. Her and Kal grow closer & bond over a mural project in the school. Kal’s ex (Brill) had a tragic death, & he tries to prevent himself from comparing Ireland to his ex, & I think the story would have benefited more if it expended a little on his relationship with her. Overall, this was a good read & not super cheesy/basic, which I appreciate

Thanks Shadow Mountain Publishing & Netgalley for the ARC! This book will be published on Nov 5.

What a great look at teens, homelessness, and sexual violence. This book puts them all together, and shows how good can come out of it all.

Ireland is living on her own, in a park bathroom, having been deserted by her parents. She is almost 18, almost an adult, and then her secret gets out. Will things get better or worse?

Kal lost a good friend due to bad choices, and he doesn't ever want that to happen again. But can he save everyone and not lose everything?

Are the perfect people really perfect? The joys of high school.

I really enjoyed this and can see sharing it with my grandchildren. There are great truths to be learned in these pages.

#TheArtofUs #NetGalley

The Art of Us was well written and had some very hard subjects that need to be addressed.
Ireland Raine is a senior in high school who finds herself homeless after her dad takes off. With only the bare essentials, Ireland finds a public restroom at the edge of the woods that looks like it hasn't been used in a long time. This becomes her place to live, Ireland is one that hides in the background at school until Kal nipotices her love for art. Kal has some hard things he is dealing with and decides he will stick up for those who need help, This is a book that will stay with me.

This was a great story that touched on difficult topics with tact and empathy - I think the subjects in this book are ones anyone could learn from regardless of background and life experience! The characters were well-developed and easy to relate to. "The Art of Us" is the perfect reminder that we are all more than meets the eye and people have a lot more going on than we will ever know or understand.

Unfortunately, the pacing of this one didn't work out for me. I read because the story was interesting enough that I wanted to learn what happened to Ireland, but the plot development felt a bit dragged out. And the characters seemed to talk to themselves a lot, to the point it felt unnatural. Thank you for the ARC!