Not about a Boy - by Myah Hollis (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"This debut is a gritty teen drama full of mature themes that unfurl in compassionate ways and will resonate with many readers...Heartbreaking and powerful." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Euphoria meets Girl in Pieces in this coming-of-age story of a girl trying to put a grief-stricken past behind her, only to be startled by the discovery of a long-lost sister who puts into question everything she thought she knew. Now in paperback!

Amélie Coeur has never known what it truly means to be happy.

She thought she'd found happiness once, in a love that ended in tragedy and nearly sent her over the edge. Now, at seventeen, Mel is beginning to piece her life back together. Under the supervision of Laurelle Child Services, the exclusive foster care agency that raised her, Mel is sober and living with a new family among Manhattan's elite. It's her last chance at adoption before she ages out of the system, and she promised, this time, she'll try.

But a casual relationship with a boy is turning into something she never intended for it to be, causing small cracks in her carefully constructed walls. Then the sister she has no memory of contacts Mel, unearthing complicated feelings about the past and what could have been.

As the anniversary of the worst day of her life approaches, Mel must weather the rising tides of grief and depression before she loses herself, and those close to her, all over again.

Praise for Not About a Boy:

"Lucid and luminous." --ALA Booklist

"Hollis's powerful and compassionate debut novel is an intimate and nuanced portrayal of a resilient and troubled young woman's journey toward self-acceptance...An emotionally rich and complex coming-of-age story. Amélie is a well-written character teenagers will understand and will want to root for." --School Library Journal (starred review)

Review Quotes

"Beautiful, raw, poignant. Not About a Boy is a searing debut full of humor, heart, and the expansive range of emotions that rage within us all. Read this book to remember why feelings come first. Myah Hollis is a breath of fresh air." - Danielle Parker, author of You Bet Your Heart

"Not About a Boy feels like a good cry with your best friend. Heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful, Myah Hollis's writing is a breath of fresh air in the YA space." - Elise Bryant, author of Happily Ever Afters

"Myah Hollis is a superb new talent who captures Amélie's story with honesty, wit, and heartrending prose. Not About A Boy explores overcoming our inner and outer demons with precise finesse, Hollis's pen as sharp as an exacto knife. This book will live in your bones as an unforgettable masterclass on the teen mind, mental health, and found family. Hollis is a talent for the ages." - Lane Clarke, author of Love Times Infinity

"Staggeringly honest and emotionally-complex, Not About A Boy paints a portrait of a girl on the cusp of adulthood with tenderness and tenacity. Deftly intertwining lyrical prose and searing wit, Hollis writes for the girls who've been lost and understand the grueling task of finding oneself all over again. Not About A Boy is fresh, smart, and gorgeously-written. Myah Hollis is a truth-teller." - Jade Adia, author of Our Shouts Echo and There Goes the Neighborhood

"This debut is a gritty teen drama full of mature themes that unfurl in compassionate ways and will resonate with many readers... Heartbreaking and powerful" - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Lucid and luminous." - Booklist

"Hollis's powerful and compassionate debut novel is an intimate and nuanced portrayal of a resilient and troubled young woman's journey toward self-acceptance... A emotionally rich and complex coming-of-age story. Amélie is a well-written character teenagers will understand and will want to root for." - School Library Journal (starred review)